Smoke & Mirrors
by doodlegirll
Summary: Maybe he was just new to this, but Eugene was fairly certain that an assassination attempt on his first day as Prince Consort could not be a good sign... .:Sequel to "Hangman's Noose":.
1. Moonlight

**So I know I said I wanted to get this out there by the first of May, but hey, the best laid plans of mice and men...**

**Seriously, though, life's been hard lately. I just celebrated my nineteenth birthday the 22nd, and I've decided to leave my job due to complications and conflicts between me and my supervisor (over one day, I might add). I've been preparing for my boyfriend's graduation, and my best friend came into town for a few days this past week. :) I've also had a HORRIBLE time pounding out the plot for this, trying to fill in whatever holes I've come across, and so far, I think I've done a pretty good job. :) I've also found the perfect name for this story, as "Heaven Can Wait" was only a working title. "Smoke and Mirrors" works far better, and later on in the story, you'll find out why. :)**

**But for now, enjoy! Reviews are welcomed. :)**

**Chapter song: "Hysteria" by Def Leppard**

_**Disclaimer: Tangled is not mine. Damn. **_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Smoke &amp; Mirrors<span>**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll _

_..._oOo...

He loved nights like this, when the stars glittered like a thousand fireflies and the moon cast a faint glow over the earth, when shadows danced in the nooks and crannies found about the grounds that he now called his home, when there was a slight bite in the air, signaling the end of the summer season. He loved them, because they reminded him of her, the way her eyes sparkled with intelligence and enthusiasm, the way she danced gleefully whenever she found the chance, the warmth he found in her smile. They reminded him that he was lucky, not only to have her, but to be able to live out his life with her at his side.

And this, he mused, was perfect. Everything was perfect.

Eugene Fitzherbert had finally found a place to belong, and that was at the side of the most amazing woman he had ever met, the woman who had taken him on the adventure of a lifetime, who had hit him – thrice – over the head with a heavy frying pan, the woman who had been willing to give her all just so that he could live, no matter the consequences it might bring for her. And tomorrow, after months of lessons in etiquette, history, and politics, he would finally be recognized by the rest of the kingdom of Corona as an appropriate suitor for their beloved Princess Rapunzel.

He knew that he should probably be getting some sleep, but Eugene couldn't help but appreciate this wonderful night as he strolled mindlessly through the gardens. It wasn't that he was looking for anything in particular, nor was he exactly _not _looking for anything either, but rather allowing the serenity of the peaceful garden calm his anxious nerves.

It had been three months since he had gone to trial for his crimes as Flynn Rider and sentenced to the hangman's noose. Three months since that fateful day at the gallows in which he had found his life spared for the second time at the hands of Rapunzel, who had pulled in back from death once before and would surely do it again. Three months since Eugene Fitzherbert had promised to change his life and do whatever it took to go the extra mile as Rapunzel had, to be with her. And now, he was finally, finally, making that extra mile official.

Tomorrow he would leave commoner Eugene Fitzherbert behind and take on the new title of Prince Consort.

Of course he understood the weight of the title. He understood that it meant that he was now allowed, in the eyes of the royal court, to court their princess, and one day marry her, thus making him the future king of Corona, though Rapunzel, as the heir, would preside over him in power. Not that it mattered anyway; as long as he had her, he didn't care who or what he was!

Still, he couldn't help but feel extremely nervous for the coming morning. Somehow he found the feeling akin to that of awaiting his pending execution, which didn't exactly make him feel any better. He'd been there, done that, and he had no desire to ever experience it again.

For ten years, he had been known by all of Corona as Flynn Rider, thief extraordinaire. He'd stolen from the rich and poor alike, if only to further his own ambitions for an island somewhere far away, never caring who it hurt. Due to this fact, he knew that he was not exactly _liked _by many of the people of Corona, which caused him a great deal of unrest. Yes, he had been pardoned, and yes, he truly regretted the harm that he had caused all those years, but was that enough to gain the forgiveness of those he had used, had stepped on? Surely they would recognize him, considering the large amount of wanted posters that had been plastered at practically every corner, despite the artists' inabilities to get his nose right. A change of name and heart didn't change the face of the damned, and he knew it.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his brown hair as he sat himself down at the edge of the large fountain at the center of the gardens. Tomorrow was just as much a judgement day as that day at the gallows. He had been allotted a second chance then, but would fate allow him another?

He was startled by the sound of footsteps on the stone path next to him, and he sprang to his feet, fully prepared to explain to whoever it was he was about to encounter his intentions about the lavish surroundings. A guard, he guessed, making the nightly rounds.

However, it was not the face of an armored guard he was met with, but instead the face of His Majesty, the King, Rapunzel's father.

Eugene bowed. "Your Majesty," he said softly as the monarch approached him.

The King nodded at him. "Mr. Fitzherbert," he said. "Might I inquire to ask what you are doing out at such an hour as this? Your public appearance is tomorrow! Surely you need all the rest you can get?"

Eugene straightened up, once again finding himself feeling as through he were in the hot seat. He wondered if that were a feeling he would ever be able to conquer...

"I couldn't sleep, Your Majesty." He explained. "I thought a walk might help."

The King chuckled.

"Then you and I are not as different as we think." He said. "I, too, often find myself suffering from bouts of insomnia, and the garden always helps me to find peace amidst turmoil." He turned his gaze towards the bright half moon, his hands behind his back. "What ails you, my boy?"

Ever since he had been brought before the royal council, Eugene had found a sort of father figure within the King. The King had been there to give a good word for him towards the council, and when Rapunzel had returned the day of Eugene's execution, the King had said he considered him his own son. Eugene had never had a father before, and he supposed that the King was as close to one as he would ever get. The King was a kind soul, and he had never treated Eugene poorly. Eugene knew the man was eternally grateful to him for bringing Rapunzel back, but Eugene couldn't help but feel that there was no reason for the man to feel this way in the first place; Rapunzel deserved to have a real family.

Eugene rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm...not really sure." He confessed. "It all comes down to tomorrow. I guess I'm just a little nervous."

The King nodded in understanding, but said nothing, prompting Eugene to continue.

"I guess I'm just worried that not everyone will be so keen to accept me, as Your Majesties have." He explained. "I mean, considering my past as Flynn Rider and all..."

The King shook his head, and laid a hand on Eugene's shoulder.

"Eugene, I do believe you worry too much." He said, smiling. "Your past is just that: your past. Your future holds so much potential, and I am quite sure, considering how fast news seems to fly around these parts, not to mention the celebration we held in honor of Rapunzel's return to us, that the kingdom knows very well who you are, and I am quite certain that they also see the change you have made." He chuckled again. "Crime has certainly diminished since you gave up thieving!"

Eugene allowed himself to laugh a little, and be began to feel just a little bit better.

"I wouldn't worry too much about tomorrow, my boy." The King said, removing his hand from Eugene's shoulder. "Enjoy it! Tomorrow is just as much a day of celebration as a coronation! Tomorrow we announce that you are Rapunzel's suitor, and thus the future King of Corona! Such news is worthy of joy. Tomorrow is for you." He smiled again. "Have faith. It may surprise you."

Eugene nodded. "Thank you, Your Majesty." He said.

The King held up a hand.

"Please," he said. "I do believe, upon the belief that you truly are the one my daughter intends to marry, that the time has come for us to drop such formalities. Call me Leander, or Lee, if you prefer."

Eugene, unable to refuse, merely nodded in agreement.

The King took another look at the moon before he looked back at Eugene.

"Perhaps it is time for us to call it a night, yes?" He asked.

"I do feel like I could use some sleep," Eugene agreed.

"Then we shall call it a night." King Leander said. "Until the morning, I bid you goodnight, Mr. Fitzherbert."

"And you, Yo-Leander."

With that, the two men parted ways, King Leander heading back towards the castle while Eugene hung back, gazing up at the moon just as the king had for a moment.

_I sure hope he's right..._


	2. Nightmares

**Okay, so seriously, I know it's been FOREVER since I updated (two months and two days, to be exact), but I'm not going to lie and spin tales of alien abduction and crazy adventures through the multiverse; no, instead, I'll tell you the truth. **

**I have been extremely, extremely apprehensive about writing this fic. For more reasons than one, but the most prominent being that I'm terrified that I won't be able to write this fic to everyone's hopes and expectations. I've delved into this with my followers on tumblr, and my friends, and they've assured me that I can write it no matter what, but I've still been very nervous. I'm almost at end with every word I write, with every paragraph that flows, I feel like I'm letting everyone down. And I don't want to let anyone down, and I want to be happy with what I write. I'm getting there happiness-in-myself wise, but I just don't want to let everyone else down, you know?**

**Also, I DID have this chapter written completely, but then, BAM! FFnet decided to DELETE IT THREE FREAKING TIMES IN A FREAKING ROW. So THREE TIMES I had to start all over from scratch, which is why it's pretty short. It is now safely written in a Word document. I am so pissed right now, no one even understands. Once, shame on me. Twice, shame on you. Thrice, SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE. **

**But, I've decided to plow through it and write it anyway. :) **

**So enjoy chapter two! I feel like Rapunzel deserves a little center stage before we really get into the story, because we know Eugene's feelings about what happened three months prior, but we don't really know Rapunzel's, so...yeah. :)**

**Chapter song: "Clocks" by Coldplay (I highly recommend listening to this while reading this chapter!)**

_**Disclaimer: Tangled is not mine. Damn. **_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Smoke &amp; Mirrors<span>**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll _

_..._oOo...

Rapunzel couldn't help but feel like she was turning into a liar.

She had been having nightmares for quite some time now, and she hadn't told anyone. Well, she had told Pascal, of course, but she knew he wouldn't tell anybody. But she had always been taught that keeping something from someone was just as bad as lying, and she hadn't gone to her parents once about this. Not a soul knew. Not even Eugene.

But how could she tell _him_, when the nightmares revolved around him?

It all went back to that fateful day at the gallows three months prior. The scenarios leading up to the nightmare were almost always different, but the finality of it all was always the same. Eugene never came out alive.

Tonight was no different.

Despite the cool air that blew around her as she lent against the railing of her balcony, ruffling her already tousled short brown hair, Rapunzel felt extremely hot, almost as though she had just run a mile through a fire. She felt jittery, and scared, and as though she were standing at the edge of a cliff. When would these nightmares ever stop? _Would_they ever stop? Eugene was safe! He was not dead. The council had acquitted him of the charges against him, and his name had been cleared. He had not hung that day.

And yet no matter how hard she tried to forget about it, somehow it all kept coming back to Rapunzel in terrifying clarity whenever she tried to find solace and peace in slumber. And then it followed her into her waking life, the horrifying images playing across her mental stage, taunting her, haunting her, with every heartbeat, making the memories inescapable.

She had almost lost Eugene that day. Wasn't that enough? Wasn't it enough that she had lived in pure agony for nearly a week, knowing that he was going to die, and that there was nothing she could do about it? Wasn't it enough that she had had to visit him in the castle dungeons, and leave him there in squalor each time? Wasn't it enough that she had had to sit back and watch as her life fell apart right before her eyes? Wasn't it enough that she had had to actually _witness_ him falling through that trapdoor, even if he had survived? Wasn't it enough that she knew that it had been all her fault? Must she continue to relive it, over and over, every time she closed her eyes?

All she wanted was peace.

She sighed as she gazed down at the garden below her balcony, finally finding herself beginning to calm down. As she did, her eyes were directed towards the movement at the fountain, and with a start, she realized it was Eugene.

What was he doing up at such a late hour? In the garden?

She watched him for a few moments as he paced, running his hands through his hair. He looked very much as she did: nervous, almost restless. She saw him raise his head and stare at the moon, and she couldn't help but muse that he looked handsome, even from the distance at which she stood from him.

Rapunzel knew it was about tomorrow. Tomorrow was when he officially became Prince Consort Eugene Fitzherbert, and made his public debut. And she knew he was anything but excited about it.

She was just about to turn and make for the door to go out and make sure that he was alright when another movement caught her eye. It was her father, the King.

She couldn't hear what he was saying as he approached Eugene, but she saw Eugene turn to face him, bowing as he did so. Stooping down behind the balcony railing so as not to be seen, she watched through the small gaps as the two most important men in her life conversed in the pleasant night air.

Before long, she saw her father lay a hand on Eugene's shoulder, and Eugene seemed to relax just a little. Her father and Eugene parted ways, and she watched the King walk down the path before she turned her attention back to Eugene.

His gaze was once again turned back towards the moon, and he reminded her of all the times she had spent watching from her window back in her tower. She saw him sigh, and he turned away from the fountain, following the same path the King had taken moments ago towards the castle, where his warm bed awaited him.

"Don't worry, Eugene." She whispered as he passed below her, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. "Tomorrow's when _your _life begins."

...oOo...

Rapunzel awoke early the next morning and dressed in her favorite lavender dress before making her way to breakfast, a light skip in her step.

Today was a very big day!

Despite her nightmare the previous night, Rapunzel had slept fitfully. She had finally fallen into a nightmareless slumber not long after witnessing the interaction between her father and Eugene in the garden, and now she felt that she was ready to face the coming events this day was sure to bring.

She walked into the dining hall, where she found her parents already waiting for her. She greeted both of them with a warm smile.

"Good morning, Mama, Daddy!" She said brightly as she embraced the two of them.

"Good morning, dear." Her mother said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you." Rapunzel lied, wincing just slightly as she did so.

She hated keeping things from her parents. It wasn't fair to them.

She looked around the room, noticing that one important person was missing from the table.

"Where's Eugene?" She asked.

"I saw him last night during an evening stroll in the garden," King Leander said. "But I have not seen him since. Could it be that he slept late?"

"Could be." The Queen answered. "He _has _seemed quite apprehensive about today, hasn't he?"

"I believe Eugene just has a case of cold feet," the King replied. "Any man would! Today is a grand day, a wonderful day, but it also comes with a great burden. Today announces that one day, he will be the will become the King of Corona, and I feel that that is a title Eugene does not feel that he deserves."

"But he has me!" Rapunzel said. "Why does he think he has to go through this all alone? Even when he _is _King, I'll be there right beside him!"

"While that is true, and while it is also true that you will preside over him in authority because of your royal lineage, you know Eugene feels as though not everyone in Corona will forgive him and accept him for who he is now." King Leander explained. "The kingdom knows of his pardoning, but I fear that Eugene does not believe that everyone will agree that he deserves it as you and I do."

"Eugene just has a lot to think about today," the Queen said. She looked at her daughter. "Why don't you go find him and make sure everything is okay? I'm sure he'll open up to you."

Rapunzel nodded. "Alright." She agreed. "I'll be back soon."

"Take your time, dear." The Queen said. "No need to rush."

"Do remind Eugene, however, that he has a final fitting appointment with the royal tailor at noon." The King said. "Just to make sure everything is in order!"

"I will, Daddy!" Rapunzel said. "Don't worry!"

She made her way down the hallway, towards Eugene's room. She soon found herself outside his door, and she raised a fist, knocking lightly.

"Eugene?" She said through the door. "Are you in there?"

A few moments later, the door opened to reveal a disheveled Eugene, still clad in his night clothes. His hair stuck out in even more odd angles than her own, and he had bags beneath his amber eyes. He wasn't smiling. In fact, he looked rather irked at having been pulled from what appeared to have been a deep sleep.

Rapunzel couldn't help but laugh a little at his appearance.

"Time to wake up, sleepyhead!" She said, standing on her tiptoes to peck him on the cheek. "Today's the big day!"

"What big day?"

"Your public appearance as Prince Consort, silly!" Rapunzel said.

"Oh yeah. That." Eugene yawned, widely, running a hand through his hair in an attempt to get some of it out of his face.

Rapunzel frowned, concerned.

"Are you alright, Eugene?" She asked.

Eugene rubbed his face.

"I'm fine, Rapunzel." He said, his voice growing less tired. "I just…didn't get all that much sleep."

"Daddy said he met you in the garden last night," Rapunzel said, carefully avoiding the fact that she knew of this fact without anyone having to tell her about it.

"I just went for a walk to clear my head, that's all." Eugene assured her. "I'll be alright."

"Okay, if you're sure." Rapunzel said, not wanting to push him. "Mama and Daddy and I were wondering where you were. Breakfast will be starting soon."

Eugene yawned again. "Just give me a minute." He said. He opened the door wider, and Rapunzel followed him inside. He crossed the floor and stepped into his closet to change while Rapunzel waited patiently outside.

A few moments later, he reemerged, clad in a white shirt and brown pants, and he pulled his bare feet into his favorite boots. He ran a comb through his unruly hair at the mirror in the corner, and splashed some cold water on his face in the basin next to it. He looked considerably more awake as he neared Rapunzel.

She smiled.

"Ready?" She asked. "Mama and Daddy are waiting."

"Not quite," he said, pulling her close for a gentle kiss on the lips. After a few short moments, they pulled apart, and he smiled down at her. "_Now _I'm ready."

Rapunzel giggled and took his hand.

"Good!" She said. "Oh! And Daddy wanted me to remind you that you have a final fitting appointment today at noon with the tailor for your suit today. He just wants to make sure everything's in order for today."

Eugene gave her a grateful look as he squeezed her hand. Clearly he had forgotten this little piece of information.

"Thanks, Blondie." He said affectionately as the two walked out of his room back into the hallway. "What would I do without you?"

"Be very very lost and much less informed on how to wield a frying pan as a weapon?" Rapunzel threw out gleefully.

Eugene laughed.

"That's for sure." He said. "Frying pans! Who knew, right?"

Rapunzel smiled.

Today would turn out perfect.

She just knew it.

* * *

><p><strong>Again I apologize for the complete crappiness of this chapter! But I hope you enjoyed nonetheless! :D<strong>

**Chapter three coming up here soon. I promise it won't take two months this time! ;)**


	3. Prince Consort

**Alrighty, here's your next update!**

**Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this chappie! I enjoyed the roundabout nervousness Eugene is experiencing, and I really enjoyed developing Mr. Seamus' character. :) I feel bad for poor Eugene, though. He goes through so much crap, eh?**

**Anyway, on to the chapter! A lot of research went into this chapter, because I had to read up on everything Prince Consort, and I found a lot of interesting information. Still, if I'm a little off, please forgive me. :)**

**Aaaaand I might as well say that while I'm pretty pleased with this chapter, it's long, it's ranty, it's redundant, but it's important in the building of the story, especially considering what happens next. ;) That should keep you on your toes! :D**

**I also had to cut this chapter in half because it ended up being too long...**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter song: "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga (because for no determinable reason, I listened to this song most while writing this chapter...)**

_**Disclaimer: MUST you remind me that it's not mine?**_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Smoke &amp; Mirrors<span>**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll _

_..._oOo...

"Ouch!"

Eugene winced as yet another pin bit painfully into the skin of his torso, trying very hard to remain still. He wanted badly to be allowed to check the multiple tiny puncture wounds that could now be found dotting his body, but Mr. Seamus, the tailor, would hear nothing of it.

"Just a few minutes more, Mr. Fitzherbert," Mr. Seamus promised as he measured Eugene's outstretched forearm.

"You said that twenty minutes ago," Eugene complained as he felt another pinprick.

Mr. Seamus tsked under his breath. He was a difficult man to get along with, Eugene had soon found out. He was a tall, slender man in his mid to late forties with a long nose, a pointed chin, dark brown eyes, and a low, gravely voice. He never seemed to smile, and he had no interest in small talk, making Eugene's fitting session unbearably dull and long.

"Mr. Fitzherbert, this would be over a lot sooner if you would stop wiggling!" Mr. Seamus scolded. "You're making it hard to get accurate measures!"

Eugene sighed.

Today was _definitely _costing a lot more than it was worth in his opinion.

He stood perfectly still, albeit as best he could, for another ten minutes (which seemed to be more like an hour) before Mr. Seamus' assistant stood, brushing his hands off and nodding.

"Done." He said.

Mr. Seamus walked around Eugene, who had dropped his aching arms to his side, giving him a final once-over.

"Good. Very good." He said finally, nodding. He gestured with a sweeping motion to the full length mirror in the corner of the room. "Care to have a look?"

Eugene crossed the room, tucking his newly hemmed shirt into his pants, and looked into the mirror, admiring the cantankerous tailor's handiwork.

Mr. Seamus had certainly created an outfit fit for a Prince (Consort).

Eugene was now dressed in fine black pants and a breezy white linen shirt, gold cufflinks with the Corona sun embossed into them at the end of the sleeves. A black vest not unlike his signature blue one draped from his shoulders, not yet fastened, but in place of brass hooks, a neat row of shiny buttons trailed up the front. Polished black boots adorned his feet.

Eugene fumbled with the buttons of his vest as Mr. Seamus came up behind him in the mirror.

"Well, what do you think?" He asked.

Eugene turned to face him and smiled.

"Thank you." He said sincerely. "It's…it's great."

"Mr. Fitzherbert, I assure you, I only make the best, so of course it's 'great.'" Mr. Seamus said, offering a rare, small smile. "But I thank you, nonetheless, sir."

Eugene raised an eyebrow. "Sir?" He said. "You've never called me that before."

"In a few hours time, all of Corona will recognize you as our new Prince Consort, thus labeling you our future King, and as the _royal tailor_, I will address you formally, as from now on, I will serve you as I have His Majesty King Leander, and his father before him, King Rupert, for the past twenty years." Mr. Seamus said. He gave a respectful bow that made Eugene extremely uncomfortable. "I am at your service."

"You don't have to do that," Eugene said as Mr. Seamus straightened himself.

Mr. Seamus raised an inquiring brow.

"I take it, then, that you are not yet accustomed to such?" He asked.

Eugene shook his head.

"You could say that," he said. "To be honest, Mr. Seamus, I never expected any of this." He swept a hand above his head, indicating the castle. "I never expected to ever hold a title other than _thief._"

Mr. Seamus studied him for a moment.

"I can see that you are haunted by your past, Mr. Fitzherbert," he said quietly. "It is written plainly on your face. You do not feel that you deserve any of this."

Eugene couldn't have said it better himself. Mr. Seamus had hit the nail on the head in one clean motion.

"I believe, Mr. Fitzherbert," Mr. Seamus said after a moment's silence. "That you are far too hard on yourself."

Eugene looked at the tailor, and opened his mouth to speak, but Mr. Seamus held up a hand.

"If I may," he said. "I believe that you do not give yourself credit where credit is due. You do not believe yourself worthy of the honors set before you due to your thieving past, and you do not feel that you are anyone of importance, nor do you feel that you will be accepted by your future subjects, again due to the past life you have set against your record."

Eugene nodded, once again at a loss for words.

"You underestimate yourself." Mr. Seamus went on. "And on the other hand, you underestimate the innate forgiveness we humans tend to possess. You do not believe that the people of Corona will be able to forgive you for your past, am I wrong?"

"No." Eugene answered.

"And you do not believe that they will see you a proper match for their beloved Princess?"

"Yes."

"And thus you believe that they will deem you an unfit future ruler and shun you completely?"

"I believe that not all of them will feel that way," Eugene admitted. "But I don't exactly have a good reputation to back me up, do I? I _stole _from these people. I _cheated _them. I _lied _to them. What reason do they have to believe that I won't do it again, or that I'm not just after the glory? That I'm only here for all the wrong reasons?"

"You returned our Lost Princess to us." Mr. Seamus answered him calmly. "And for that, this kingdom is indebted to you. Without your act of heroism, where would we be? We never gave up hope that she would return to us, but you must understand that all of us had to face the reality that she might never return at one point or another. And then, two days after the Lantern Festival on what would have been her eighteenth birthday, you escape from prison and return with this young woman who could be the mirror image of our own Queen! You didn't just return our Princess to us that day, Mr. Fitzherbert, you returned our _future._ The King and Queen had tried for years to produce another heir after the Princess disappeared, but they were unsuccessful, and in a way, it felt wrong that another child should replace the one the kingdom had loved so much."

"I'm not a hero," Eugene said softly. "I brought her back because she deserved to know her real parents, and she deserved a life of promise." His amber eyes met Mr. Seamus' brown. "She was willing to give up her freedom so that she could save me, _me, _a lowly thief with no one in the world to turn to and without a home. She had never known the love of true parents, parents that loved her for her, not for her hair, and she had never known freedom, and she deserved that. And then she was willing to give all that up again to save me from the gallows three months ago. So if anyone is a hero here, it's Rapunzel."

Mr. Seamus nodded at this, acknowledging his agreement.

"Princess Rapunzel is a brave young lady." He said. "And you, whether or not you choose to believe it, _are _a hero. And I believe that you deserve the honor of which you will receive today."

"Thank you." Eugene said.

"I believe you will make a great king one day." Mr. Seamus said. "And believe me, that means a lot, coming from me."

Eugene laughed.

Maybe Mr. Seamus wasn't so hard to get along with after all.

The tailor looked down at the pocket watch he had produced from his coat pocket.

"It's nearly two o'clock." He said. "You'd best be meeting the King and Queen. Your debut is in but an hour's time."

Eugene nodded, and stuck out his hand.

"Thank you again, Mr. Seamus." He said as he shook the tailor's hand. "For everything."

"I'm pleased to have been of service, sir." Mr. Seamus said.

With that, Eugene quickly left.

...oOo...

He found Rapunzel quickly, or, rather, she found him. She had been anxiously waiting outside the throne room, pacing back and forth, wringing her hands. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why she was so jumpy; after all, hadn't she just told him today would be a good day only a few hours before?

She spotted him almost as soon as he had rounded the corner, and her entire face had lit up like one of the lanterns. She smiled and rushed to meet him, throwing herself at him and embracing him in an enthusiastic hug, but Eugene knew her well enough to recognize a sort of urgency in her grip as well, and he quickly gathered her in his arms, picking her off her feet and swinging her around.

He sat her back down on the floor and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Hey, Blondie." He greeted her.

"Hello." She said, grinning at him.

Eugene couldn't help but notice that she looked beautiful in her chosen attire for the day's events. Rapunzel was dressed in a pale yellow dress that went to the floor, covering her undoubtedly bare feet. Ribbon crisscrossed across the bodice, coming together in the back in a larger, elegant bow, the ends hanging down her back, while tiny stitches came together in delicate patterns all down the skirt. Her pixie cut brown hair was spiky as usual, her crown poised atop the chocolate locks.

"You look beautiful, Blondie." He said.

Rapunzel smiled. "You look handsome yourself." She said.

He stepped back to allow her a better look.

"Thank you." He said. "Mr. Seamus…did a good job."

"Yes, he did." Rapunzel agreed. "You look great. It's perfect for today."

"Yeah…" Eugene trailed off. "About today, Rapunzel…"

"Aren't you excited?" Rapunzel asked, concerned.

"Well…" Eugene fumbled for the right words. "I guess I'm just…apprehensive is all."

Rapunzel smiled and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, as if passing on some of her optimism through the simple gesture of affection.

"Today will be fine, Eugene." She promised. "You don't have anything to worry about!"

Eugene opened his mouth to speak, but the doors opening behind the two of them cut him off abruptly. The King and Queen emerged, both smiling jovially.

King Leander clapped a hand on Eugene's shoulder.

"Well, my boy, it looks as though Mr. Seamus did a fine job in the design of your debut outfit!" He said. "An outfit fit for the future ruler of Corona!"

Eugene cleared his throat, uncomfortably.

"Yes, well, uh…"

Rapunzel sensed his distress and came to his rescue almost at once.

"Mama, Daddy, I was wondering," she said. "Would it be alright if, while we're out, Eugene and I stopped by the paint shop in the village? Pascal accidentally knocked over my jar of white paint, and without it I can't mix the colors I need for my next mural."

"Of course you can, sweetheart." The Queen answered. "I don't see why not."

Rapunzel gave a squeal of delight and gave her mother a quick hug around the middle.

"Thank you, Mama!" She said. She took Eugene's hand again, and began to pull him down the hall. "Eugene and I are going to go ahead and meet Maximus in the stables! We'll meet you out on the balcony in a few minutes!"

She dragged him away from her parents quickly, and he stumbled quite a few times as he tried to keep up with her. As soon as she was sure they were alone, and no one could hear them, she quickly pulled him into a small corner.

"Alright, talk." She said, stepping back and crossing her arms.

"What?"

"Talk." She repeated. "You're hiding something! There's something you're not telling me. You've been acting strange since you woke up this morning."

"Ah. That." Eugene ran a nervous hand through his thick hair. "It's just, well…I'm not so sure about this."

"What do you mean?" Rapunzel placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm not so sure about this, Rapunzel." Eugene repeated. "What if I'm not cut out for this?"

"Why wouldn't you be? You've taken all the classes, all the lessons! You've studied the history, the politics, everything!" Rapunzel cocked her head to the side, confused.

"It's not about that, Blondie." Eugene attempted to explain his reasonings. "It's…today, I go up in front of the entire kingdom and your father announces that I'm the Prince Consort, and that I'm courting you, and that means that one day, I'll be the King. And I'm just not convinced that everyone's going to exactly be thrilled at having a former thief as their future monarch."

Rapunzel's face softened, and she reached out a hand to gently touch his cheek.

"Eugene," she said. "_That's _what all this has been about?"

Eugene nodded, almost guiltily.

"Why didn't you tell me you were so uncomfortable with today?" She asked. "I'm sure we could have talked to Daddy, arranged something less…extravagant."

Eugene shook his head.

"So much as gone into today." He said. "And your father has seemed pretty well set on my having a public debut since I was pardoned."

"Well, they're going to have to find out sometime, Eugene!" Rapunzel pointed out. "And I'm sure they already know. How could they not, what with all those wanted posters? It was announced at the ceremony, er, celebrating my return at the beginning of the summer that Flynn Rider had brought me back."

"But that was different." Eugene said. "They were just saying who had found and brought you back. They weren't announcing that Flynn Rider was the _future king._"

Rapunzel sighed, moving in to envelope him in another hug.

"But you're _not _Flynn Rider." She said. "You're Eugene Fitzherbert."

"But they don't know that."

"They will today." Rapunzel gave him a hopeful smile.

"But what if it's not just that I'm going to be the future king someday? What if they don't think I'm fit to be courting a Princess, even if I _am _a Prince Consort?"

"Well, then they'll have to take it up with me and my frying pan." Rapunzel said. "They can't dictate who I can and cannot court, and they certainly have no say in who I am allowed to be in love with. You're a hero, Eugene. You're _my _hero, at least."

"Please stop calling me a hero," Eugene said. "I'm…I'm not."

"Don't say that!" Rapunzel said. "Of course you are!"

"But I – "

Rapunzel silenced him with a finger pressed to his lips, and he seemed to relax a little as he gazed into her shining green eyes.

"Today is going to be great, Eugene, you'll see." Rapunzel said. "They might surprise you."

Eugene wasn't sure what else he could say at that point. No one seemed to understand his apprehensions surrounding the day's events, and he wasn't sure how to explain them any better than he already had. So instead he smiled, put on a brave face, for Rapunzel, if not for himself, and pulled his princess in close for a tender kiss.

He let his lips linger on hers for a second before he gently pulled back, their eyes meeting. Rapunzel smiled and took his hand again.

"Come on." She said. "We'd better get out to the stables and hurry to meet Mama and Daddy. We don't want to be late!"

...oOo...

Fifteen minutes later, Eugene found himself hanging back at the far wall of the balcony overlooking the kingdom, pressing himself against the cool stones as he watched the King and Queen make their way forward to face the crowd of people that had assembled below. He felt Rapunzel's cool hand find his, and she smiled at him before she made her way to stand next to her parents.

"People of Corona!" The King bellowed, raising his arms to solicit silence. "Today is a very special day indeed! Today is the day I present to you your Princess Rapunzel's suitor!"

The crowd below cheered, and Eugene felt himself begin to grow even more nervous. Despite the cool breeze, Eugene felt himself growing extremely hot as tiny beads of sweat began to form in his hairline. He wiped them away quickly on the back of his hand. If he had to do this, he wanted everyone to think he at least had some level of composure.

The King went on, "This man has proven himself a man of honor, and I believe that one day, he will make an excellent King Consort of Corona. He is noble, and kind, and just. He is a hero, for he returned our Lost Princess to us, and I consider him my own son." King Leander turned to face, Eugene, and he held out a hand as he stepped aside, allowing for an empty space at the edge of the balcony. "It is my greatest pleasure to present to you Princess Rapunzel's chosen suitor, Eugene Fitzherbert!"

Eugene took a deep breath, and stepped forward, making his way towards the balcony where he came to stand between Rapunzel and King Leander.

For a moment, all he could hear was the blood pounding in his ears from his raging heartbeat, and the slow, steady breaths he took to keep himself calm. As he looked down at the crowd, most of whom, if not all, he knew would recognize him as the infamous thief Flynn Rider, he couldn't help but think, 'Here comes the silence.'

But to his surprise, as the world around him began to pour back towards his eardrums, he was met not by silence and utter disgust that a common thief was courting the beloved Princess, but by applause. Astounded, he looked down at the hundreds of people below as they smiled up at him, clapping and yelling in glee.

They weren't rebuking him as their future King; they were _welcoming _him!

He felt a small, warm hand enter his, and he turned his head to find Rapunzel beaming up at him, her green eyes wide with excitement, and he smiled at her, squeezing her hand tightly. King Leander set a firm hand upon Eugene's shoulder as he once again addressed the crowd.

"As you know, this man was once known to you all as the thief Flynn Rider. I would like to make it known that this man has been pardoned of all crimes against the Kingdom of Corona, and that he has taken the necessary steps and lessons to earn the title of which he will be presented with today. He has changed his ways, and I know that he truly, truly cares for Princess Rapunzel. He was willing to die for her, not once, but twice. He will make a wise leader, and I bid you all to welcome him."

The crowd below gave another great cheer, and Eugene began to feel the anxiety slowly melt away.

Maybe today would end up being a good day after all. Maybe Rapunzel and Mr. Seamus had been right, and that people would be willing to look beyond his past and accept his future.

And, maybe, he would be able to do the same.

King Leander held up a hand for silence once more. He turned to face Eugene.

"Eugene Fitzherbert, would you please kneel?"

Eugene stole a glance at Rapunzel, and she gave him an encouraging nod. He then stood to his full height and slowly dropped to one knee before the King.

"I, King Leander of the Kingdom of Corona, son of the late King Rupert the Third, hereby bestow upon you the honorable title of Prince Consort Eugene Fitzherbert, suitor of Her Royal Highness the Princess Rapunzel."

Eugene expected something along the lines of a sword to gently touch his shoulders, as he had read about so many times in books when someone was knighted, but it never came. Instead, something slightly heavy was placed gently upon his head, and it took a moment to register that it was also made of cool metal.

It was a crown.

"You may rise."

Below him, the crowd began cheering again, and he turned to face them, and he gave them all a grin before raising his hand in greeting. Another round of applause erupted, and he smiled.

After a few moments, Eugene stepped back and faced Rapunzel. She beamed at him as she gave him a quick hug around his midsection.

"Congratulations, Eugene." The Queen said, coming close.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Eugene said, bowing respectfully.

"Eugene, my boy, I daresay today has been quite the adventure." A smiling King Leander held out his hand to Eugene, who shook it.

"I have to agree, sir." Eugene said. "I have one question though…" He gestured to the crown on his head for lack of words.

The King smiled.

"Ah, yes. I was quite fond of that crown in my youth." The King said. "But I believe it suits you well, don't you think?"

"This was _your _crown, Daddy?" Rapunzel asked, clutching at Eugene's hand.

"Indeed it was." King Leander said. "I know that it's not customary for a Prince Consort to receive a crown on his public debut, but I'd say this is quite an exception. I believe it to be in good hands."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Eugene said sincerely. "I don't know how to thank you enough."

The Queen smiled.

"You can thank us by going out there and enjoying your day," she said. "After all, I'd think it best to get to know your future subjects, don't you think?"

Eugene opened his mouth to agree, but he was cut off by Rapunzel seizing his hand.

"Ooh, Eugene, it's Hook Hand! He's out there on the pavilion playing the piano!" She said. "And there's Big Nose!"

With that, the two headed for the double doors behind them that would take them to the kingdom below, and for the first time that day, Eugene felt at peace.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Just so you know, I may not update again for a little while, as I'm pretty much set for the rest of this month. I work the next six days (from noon to nine, I might add) and then next weekend, I'm headed to Tennessee with my bestie and boyfriend to go whitewater rafting. :) And then, a week after I get back, I have to start my second year of college. :) So yeah...<strong>**

******Also, I did my research on Prince Consorts (A LOT of it!), so I know that they don't usually get crowns, but...Eugene is an exception. ;) I'm like, "Well, you know what? The Queen got a crown for being Queen when she's technically the Queen Consort, so why can't Eugene?" (That's going off my headcanon, though, that the King is the born heir of Corona...) :D******


	4. Exceptionally Well

**So. I know I haven't updated in a few months - or a year, whichever way you wish to perceive it - despite promising it for just as long...so I'm not even going to try and explain what all happened that prevented me from doing as I promised (-cough-laziness-cough-), but I will say this: back in May, I fell and broke my left wrist while I was at work, and thus, for the duration of the summer until early July, I was in a bulky (hot) cast, and thus, writing became very hard. I had already written most of this chapter, but, well...I wasn't able to write much at all once the deed had been done and the bone had to grow back together - ouch! So I apologize, and I sincerely hope you'll stick with me. :) **

**Enjoy this chapter! It was fun. And the plot thickens, bwahahahaha! :D**

**Oh, and please note this: READ TO THE END OF THE CHAPTER FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION! **

**That is all. :D**

_**Disclaimer: Still not mine, though I strive for it everyday...sadly, it has yet to happen. **_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Smoke &amp; Mirrors<span>**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll _

_..._oOo...

Today was going _exceptionally _well.

Queen Anwen couldn't help but smile as she watched Rapunzel and Eugene speed off into the crowd as she watched from the balcony, her husband beside her. They had come so far, in such a short amount of time. Rapunzel had made leaps and bounds, blossoming into an elegant young woman that would make a wise ruler one day. And Eugene, bless his soul, had found himself in the middle of an emotional whirlpool, and yet somehow he had still managed to come out on top.

Her husband was right; he _would _make a good king one day, whether or not he thought himself to be worthy.

The Queen held out her hand for her husband to take, which he did, promptly. He squeezed it gently, and she smiled at him.

"I had hoped it would go well." She said softly, turning her gaze back towards the crowd below. She could see numerous people shaking Eugene's hand, and Rapunzel beamed as she bounced on the balls of her feet at his side. Eugene seemed almost at peace as he smiled, throwing his head back and laughing at something said.

"As had I." The King said back. "And it appears that it has done just that."

The monarchs soon lost sight of their daughter and Eugene as they mingled deeper into the throng of people. The Queen sighed contentedly.

Her husband squeezed her hand one last time before he placed his arm around her shoulders.

"Shall we join in the festivities?" He asked.

Queen Anwen nodded, and looped her arm through her husband's. "We shall."

...oOo...

Rapunzel could barely believe it.

_Today was going so well! _

Eugene smiled at her as they pushed their way through the large group of people that stood in their path on the way to the little paint shop on the corner. Everyone smiled at them as they walked by, and a few had words of congratulations for Eugene, who seemed much more at ease now than he had even twenty minutes ago. Eventually they found themselves at the storefront, and Eugene held open the door for her.

The smooth, polished wood of the floor felt warm against the soles of her bare feet, and Rapunzel took in a deep breath. The various scents of damp pain, starched canvas, and smoky wood in the fireplace assaulted her nose all at once, and she felt very much at home.

"Ah, Princess Rapunzel!" The store master, an elderly man by the name of Harold Caravarti, greeted her kindly. "And Mr. Fitzherbert! How nice to see you today!"

"Hello, Mr. Caravarti." Rapunzel said in return.

Mr. Caravarti left his place behind the counter and held out his hand to Eugene, who shook it.

"I believe congratulations are in order, Mr. Fitzherbert." He said.

"Thank you, sir." Eugene replied.

Mr. Caravarti nodded at the Prince Consort before turning back to Rapunzel.

"How may I help you today, Princess?" He asked.

"I was wondering if it would be possible for you to mix me up a batch of white paint made from the seashells on the coast?" Rapunzel asked timidly. "If it's not too much trouble."

"Of course not!" Mr. Caravarti said, beaming. "It will only take me a few minutes. I'll have it ready for you in a jiffy."

Rapunzel smiled. "Thank you so much!"

"Anything for my best customer." Mr. Caravarti winked at the Princess before he disappeared into the back room of the shop.

Rapunzel turned back to face her Prince Consort, and she smiled up at him as she did so.

"So, how do you feel?" She asked him.

He took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly as he looked over his shoulder out the store's front window at the festivities outside. He smiled as he turned back to face her.

"Honestly, better." He admitted. "I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction. The acceptance, the applause, I mean."

Rapunzel squeezed his hand. "I told you." She said gently. "I promised, and I – "

"—Never break a promise." Eugene finished for her. He smiled. "I know."

A few moments later, Mr. Caravarti returned, a large bowl in his hands. He stirred the white goop inside a few more times before he poured it into a small pot that he got down from one of the shelves behind the front desk to the brim. He carefully corked the top, and handed it to Rapunzel.

"There you go, Princess." He said, his eyes twinkling. "It's on me today. In honor of the celebration."

Rapunzel's eyes widened. "Thank you!" She said gleefully, giving Mr. Caravarti a quick hug. "Thank you so much!"

Mr. Caravarti laughed. "You're welcome." He said. "Now, I believe I'm going to close shop early and go join in on the party."

"It's quite the ball out there." Eugene said. "And believe me, I wasn't expecting it at all."

"Oh?" Mr. Caravarti raised an eyebrow. "And what were you expecting, Mr. Fitzherbert? On the day of your public debut? Riots?"

"Well…"

Mr. Caravarti shook his head. "My boy, I know exactly who you are, and who you used to be, and believe me, the welcome you have received is pure of heart and indeed well deserved. Don't waste your day worrying about what _could _have been, but instead find some way to cast your worry aside and enjoy what _is._" He bowed slightly. "It's an honor."

Eugene chewed his bottom lip. "Thank you, Mr. Caravarti."

The kind old shopkeeper nodded his head, and swept his hand towards the door. "Now, get out there and enjoy it!" He said. "This is your day, Mr. Fitzherbert."

"So I've been told." Eugene said.

"Thank you again, Mr. Caravarti!" Rapunzel said, grabbing Eugene's hand and tugging him towards the store's door. "Enjoy the party!"

"You as well, Princess!" He said. "Don't hesitate to return for more paint if you need it!"

Rapunzel clenched the little pot of paint tightly as she dragged her Prince Consort through the streets and bustling people towards the town square, where a few minstrels and other musicians had set up a small band, playing various tunes in which the people had begun to dance to at the center of the square. No one seemed to notice the princess and prince consort as they neared them, Rapunzel giving a small squee of delight when she heard a familiar song begin to play.

"Eugene, it's the song we danced to on my birthday!" She said. She set the pot of paint safely in a corner, covering it with a bit of garland that stretched upwards on the wall so it wouldn't be noticed. "Come on! Let's join them!"

Eugene, unwilling to allow his previous apprehensions damper his day any further, obliged, and the two of them quickly fell into step alongside the other Coronians.

Everyone cheered with glee at the sight of their newly announced Prince Consort and their beloved Princess, and many stepped aside to allow the two of them room as Eugene twirled Rapunzel in circles, watching the two of them move in rhythm together like a leaf caught in the ripples of a river.

Eventually the music came to an end, and Eugene caught Rapunzel in one final twirl. She grinned at him and kissed him, right there in front of everyone. Eventually they broke apart, and Rapunzel retrieved her pot of paint from its hiding place.

She held his hand tightly as they began to mingle in the crowd, most of them interested in congratulating Eugene. Men shook his hand, and a few older gentlemen gave him a good hearted slap on the back. Hook Hand, along with many of his fellow pub thugs, found the two of them and enveloped Eugene in a bone-crushing hug.

"Good to see ya again, Rider." Hook Hand said as he held Eugene in a choke hold. "It's been ages since you visited us at the pub!"

Eugene managed to get away from the burly thug, narrowly avoiding Hook Hand's hook in the process. He rubbed the back of his neck and grinned.

"Sorry, boys." He said. "Been busy."

"So we've noticed." Big Nose said as he joined the group. "What kinda classes did they make you take, anyway?"

"Etiquette, dancing, politics. The usual, you know." Eugene said.

"_Dancing_?" Hook Hand said. "What about voice lessons? Last time I heard, you didn't sing."

Eugene scowled. "_Didn't _is the word, Hook Hand, my man." He said casually. "I do every once in a while nowadays."

Vlad nudged him with his elbow in the side, nearly causing him to topple onto the ground from the unintended force.

"Guess that brush with the gallows made you open your eyes, eh?" He said. "Singing's not so bad."

Eugene winced. "I'd rather not talk about it." He said.

Rapunzel sensed his unease and quickly changed the subject.

"So, Big Nose, how's Martha?" She asked, turning to face the thug in question.

Big Nose's face seemed to brighten at the mention of his new girlfriend, Martha, whom he had met at Rapunzel's return party. "She's great! She's somewhere around here with her parents." He said warmly. "We're having dinner together tonight."

Rapunzel giggled at her friend's dreamy state. "Tell her I said hi, okay?" She said.

Big Nose nodded. "Sure thing, Princess." He said.

At that moment, a few guards pushed their way through the crowd, the King and Queen behind them, smiling gaily as they greeted their subjects. As they approached, the pub thugs bowed respectively, and Eugene had to stop himself from doing the same.

King Leander clasped a hand on Eugene's shoulder.

"Eugene!" He said. "Enjoying yourself, are we my boy?"

Eugene nodded. "Yes, thank you." He said graciously. "Today has been wonderful."

The King chuckled. "As everyone tried to assure you." He said.

Queen Anwen gestured to the Coronians around them as they made their way around the streets, smiling and laughing happily as they did so.

"I believe your debut has brought much joy to the people." She said. "I believe today has been quite a success."

No sooner had the words left her mouth when a few shouts erupted from the crowd a few feet away, and suddenly, people began to scatter in all directions. Women clutched their children close their sides as they ran, many screaming. More guards swarmed the area, surrounding the royal family and Eugene.

"Your Majesty, you must come with us." One said to the King. "Now."

King Leander nodded. "Alright."

The guards began to corral the royal family down the street towards the bakery, their crossbows loaded and ready to fire at any given moment. Many of them wielding their swords, thrusting them outwards, and the townspeople closest to them gave them plenty of room as they passed.

"What's going on?" Rapunzel said in the middle of the confusion. She looked at her father. "Daddy?"

King Leander shook his head. "I don't know, dearest." He said.

"Look out!"

Suddenly, one of the guards that had been nearest to them leapt forward and pushed Eugene to the ground. The crown on Eugene's head clanged as it fell onto the ground, the Prince Consort falling onto his back and colliding painfully with the cobblestones. The little pot of paint that Rapunzel had been holding shattered as it, too, fell to the ground as another guard grabbed her and her parents, pulling them away from the open area of the square.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel said as she knelt next to him on the ground. "Are you alright?"

Eugene sat up, rubbing his head. "Yeah, I think so." He said. He quickly scrambled to his feet, picking up his fallen crown as he did so, not bothering to return it to his throbbing head.

"Captain, I demand to know what's going on here!" King Leander said as a few of the guards took off in the direction from which they had just come, the Captain yelling orders as they did so.

The Captain stopped and turned to face his king.

"An assassination attempt, Your Majesty." He said.

"An assassination attempt?!" Queen Anwen said. "Against who?!"

The Captain didn't say anything, instead pointing behind her.

There, right where Eugene had been standing just moments before the guard had knocked him down, were four arrows lodged into the stone wall of the bakery's façade.

Rapunzel gasped as her face drained of color, and she grabbed Eugene's arm.

Eugene swallowed the large lump that had formed suddenly in his throat.

Maybe he was just new to this, but he was pretty sure an assassination attempt on his first day as Prince Consort could _not _be a good sign.

* * *

><p><strong>So, is anyone interested in another fanart commission? Because I have a few scenes I would love to see done! As it was last time, any fanart submitted will be featured on my profile, as well as my tumblr. :) I'd greatly appreciate it, as my drawing skills remain at a staggering zilch. :P <strong>

**If you're interesting, drop me a line in a review, and I'll send you a PM about what I'm looking for! **

**Mucho thanks!**


	5. Tensions Arise

**See? I promised it wouldn't take me a year to update! :D **

**So this story is finally starting to move in the direction I want it to, thought I'm sorry to say it will yet again be placed on the back burner for a little while. I participate in NaNoWriMo every year with my best friend, and that comes first...so I apologize in advance! I'm also working on a story for a dear friend of mine for her Christmas gift, and you'll probably see it up on the site before too long. :) **

**Anyway, here you go! Happy Election Day! GO VOTE!**

**CHAPTER SONG: "Some Nights" by Fun. **

_**Disclaimer: Still not mine, though I strive for it everyday...sadly, it has yet to happen. **_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Smoke &amp; Mirrors<span>**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll _

_..._oOo...

Eugene slowly brought the steaming cup of hot herbal tea to his lips, and sipped it lightly, wrapping his hands around the warm mug as he swallowed and studied the royal family before him. It had been many long hours since the events in the kingdom, and immediately following, the entire royal family had been ushered into a carriage and brought back to the castle. The King had called together the royal council, and now they awaited their collective arrivals, though night had fallen and it was becoming late.

Rapunzel, her own cup of tea abandoned, paced back and forth along the length of the library in front of the warm fireplace, where the four of them now gathered, wringing her hands. The King gazed out the window at the scene below, where guards patrolled the area, their weapons poised and ready for battle should the need arise, his blue eyes steely and alert. The Queen sat quietly in the corner, her hands folded calmly in her lap as she, too, studied the silence that reverberated between them.

"Well…" Eugene said, finally unable to bear the silence any longer. "Today was…interesting."

"Interesting?!" Rapunzel cried. "You almost got _killed, _Eugene!"

Eugene flashed a grin at her. "When does a day go by when I _don't _almost get killed?"

"That's not funny, Eugene." Rapunzel said, her green eyes serious. "This is serious."

"I do agree with Rapunzel, dear." Queen Anwen said to the Prince Consort. "Gallows humor is hardly befitting of such a situation as this."

Eugene saw Rapunzel wince slightly at the use of the word 'gallows,' and he wondered vaguely if the assassination attempt was the only thing bothering her at that particular moment...

King Leander stepped away from his spot at the window and approached the chair next to Eugene, where he sat down and held his hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Daddy?" Rapunzel said. "Are you alright?"

The King sighed, and looked up at his worried daughter's face. "Quite alright, dearest." He assured her. "I am merely contemplating my options at this very moment."

The Queen got up from her seat and crossed over to where her husband sat.

"Once the council arrives, we'll be able to decide where to go from here." She said softly, placing a comforting hand on King Leander's arm. "Do not worry yourself sick."

"Who would have done this?!" Rapunzel said, the anger evident in her usually spirited voice. "And why did they do it?"

"Rapunzel." Eugene whispered. "You know why."

"No, I don't! Today was going so well, and everyone seemed so happy! Why would someone want to kill you, Eugene?"

Eugene shrugged. "I guess not everyone was as happy as we thought, Blondie." He said simply. He cracked another grin at her. "I'm actually sort of flattered."

"This _isn't funny, _Eugene!" Rapunzel cried, throwing her hands into the air. Eugene held his hands up, palms out, as a sign of surrender and apology. "Not even a little bit! So stop trying to joke about it! You could have _died_, and I want to know _why._"

Queen Anwen hugged her daughter close. "We all, do, darling." She said. "Just calm down. It's all going to be alright. Eugene is safe here."

Rapunzel seemed to relax a bit in her mother's arms, allowing herself to hug her tightly.

"I'm scared, Mama." She whispered. "I'm really _really _scared."

The Queen stroked the girl's hair soothingly. "It's alright, dear. It's perfectly acceptable for you to be afraid."

King Leander's mustache twitched as he thoughtfully gazed at the scene before him, before finally opening his mouth to speak.

"I am going to speak to the Captain." He said. "I believe I may have a possible solution for our problem."

Queen Anwen nodded. "Shall I join you?"

"Yes, I believe that would be a good idea." The King agreed. He turned to Eugene and Rapunzel. "Why don't the two of you go to bed? Today has been quite the long day, and I believe a good night's rest will do us all a bit of good. Guards are being posted outside of both of your rooms tonight, but especially yours, Eugene." He looked at the ex-thief. "The Captain has also posted two guards outside on your balcony, for added precaution."

"Thank you, Leander." Eugene said, nodding.

"But – " Rapunzel started to protest, but her father silenced her with a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Your mother and I will be in to say goodnight as soon as we're through speaking with the Captain." He promised. "Go on to bed now. We won't be long."

Rapunzel nodded. "Alright, Daddy."

The King smiled and kissed the top of her head, and then he and his wife left the library.

Rapunzel watched them leave, chewing her bottom lip nervously. Eugene, sensing her discomfort, walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist.

"C'mon, Blondie." He whispered in her ear. "I'll walk you to your room."

He took her hand, and the two of them walked to the door and down the hallway. They came to Rapunzel's bedroom, and the two of them stepped inside. Rapunzel retreated into her closet to change into her nightgown while Eugene waited patiently by the door.

Finally, Rapunzel emerged, wearing her favorite nightgown, and quickly dove into her bed. Eugene chuckled lightly at her as she snuggled in, pulling the duvet up to her chin. Pascal snuggled in at her side, pulling a fold of the blanket over him neatly, and he closed his eyes, turning a content purple as he did so.

Eugene bent down and gently kissed Rapunzel on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Princess." He said. "I love you."

Rapunzel reached out from underneath her covers and grabbed his wrist.

"Eugene, please don't leave!" She said, her voice quiet and small.

Eugene blinked, and tenderly reached out a hand to caress her face.

"Hey, it's okay. Your parents will be in here in a few minutes." He said.

She shook her head. "Stay with me until they get here? Please?" She said. "I don't want to be alone."

"Alright." Eugene consented. "I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, okay?"

Rapunzel crawled from underneath her covers and hugged him around the midsection tightly.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Very carefully, Eugene climbed onto the bed, and she crawled into his lap. He covered her with the duvet, and put his arms around her securely. She snuggled against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I love you, Eugene." She said.

"I love you, too, Blondie." He said into her hair as he kissed the top of her head.

It wasn't long before her breathing deepened, and she fell asleep, safe in the arms of the man she loved most in the world. Eugene, however, knew that her parents would be there soon to bid her goodnight, and while innocent and comforting in nature, the last thing he wanted was for them to find them in this position. He very carefully swung his legs over the side of the bed and gently lowered Rapunzel onto the bed, placing her head on her pillow and tucking the blankets around her.

"Sleep tight, Rapunzel." Eugene whispered softly as he brushed a lock of unruly brown hair from her eyes. "Everything's going to be alright. I'm here."

The girl's mouth twitched into a slight smile as she slumbered peacefully, and he knew she had understood.

At that moment, a soft knock on the door drew his attention from the princess in front of him, and he turned to find the King and Queen peeking into their daughter's bedroom.

"She's asleep." Eugene whispered as they neared the bedside.

The Queen smiled at her daughter's sleeping form. "She's emotionally exhausted, the poor dear." She said. "Today was stressful for all of us, and I know she had been so optimistic that all would go as planned."

The King placed his hand on his wife's shoulder. "We all were." He said. He turned to look at Eugene. "We've spoken with the Captain, and many of the council members have arrived. It's going to be a long night of decisions and careful planning. You're welcome to join us, if you wish."

Eugene contemplated this for a moment.

"With all due respect, I think I'll stay here and make sure Rapunzel sleeps well." He said. "I don't want her to wake up in the middle of the night with a nightmare or something and be alone."

Queen Anwen smiled and nodded her blessing. "As you wish, dear." She said. She squeezed Eugene's arm in a silent thanks.

Eugene gave her a single nod, then cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Thank you…both of you. For today, I mean." He said.

"You're quiet welcome, my boy." King Leander replied. "It was our great pleasure to have the honor of hosting such a feast. You were welcomed warmly, and the assassination attempt aside, I believe it went as well as possible."

A guard stepped into the room. "Your Majesties, your presence is requested in the throne room. The council has gathered." He said, bowing as he did so.

"Yes, thank you, Baris." The King thanked the guard. "We'll only be a moment longer."

Baris nodded, and retreated back into the hallway.

Queen Anwen gave Eugene another motherly smile. "Thank you for staying with her tonight." She said as she, too, leant over to stroke Rapunzel's brunette hair lovingly. "I believe she's been having trouble sleeping lately, though she hasn't said it outright. I've noticed that she's had dark bags under her eyes on occasion, and her tutors have said that she has had a hard time concentrating on her lessons as of late, but they attributed it the stress of the upcoming debut as opposed to a lack of sleep." She sighed. "A mother always knows when her child is in pain."

She looked pointedly at Eugene when she said this, her gaze kind, and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Come, dear." King Leander said. "We must meet with the council."

Queen Anwen nodded, and her husband placed his arm across her shoulders as they walked towards the door.

As they were about to exit, King Leander dared one last gaze over his shoulder.

"Protect her, Mr. Fitzherbert." He said quietly.

"I will." Eugene promised. "Always."

With that, Rapunzel's parents left, entrusting their daughter's slumbering safety to the Prince Consort.

Eugene sighed as he turned back to Rapunzel, and true to his thieving past, stole an unused pillow from the bed, allowing it to fall from his hands to the floor beneath his boots. He walked to the basin of water in the corner, and found a spare blanket in the cabinet underneath. Returning to Rapunzel's bedside, he settled himself on the floor, the hard, cold marble biting through the cotton of his shirt. It wasn't entirely uncomfortable; while it was no cloud, it was better than many of the various surfaces he had used as beds in the past, including the mound of hay he had been forced to utilize during his stay in prison.

Eventually, Eugene allowed himself to relax, and with the girl he loved sleeping serenely in the bed beside him, he fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>It was shorter, but the plot is evolving rapidly, and I promise the next chapter will be longer, and much more action packed. :) <strong>

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review and tell me how you're liking it so far! I'm definitely open to suggestions! :D **


	6. Of Bed Trolls and Bad Guys

**Here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it! I hope everyone's Christmas was as beautiful and amazing as mine, and I want to wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year! Here's the future, because we're done with the past! 2012 was great, but it's time for a new day to begin. :) **

**I had great fun writing this chapter. I loved the banter and careful planning behind the dialogue, and everything, and I hope you will too! :D **

**CHAPTER SONG: "Timebomb" by P!nk**

_**Disclaimer: Not mine. Believe me, I listen to Adele songs thinking about it. **_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Smoke &amp; Mirrors<span>**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll _

_..._oOo...

Early the next morning, Eugene was awoken quite suddenly to the sound of Rapunzel's surprised squeak, as well as the jolt of her scurrying backwards, and he sat up quickly, hitting his head on the bottom of her bed as he did so. Somehow in the midst of his slumber, he had managed to roll himself beneath Rapunzel's bed, his feet sticking out from underneath, almost comically. He groaned as he rubbed his sore head, gently easing his way out from underneath the large divan. He squinted against the bright sunlight up at Rapunzel's inquisitive face from her place on her bed as she peered over the edge at him, her green eyes wide in a mixture of shock and anxiety. Pascal was perched on her shoulder, the same color as Rapunzel's nightgown, blending in so as to not be seen.

"Morning, Blondie." Eugene said, yawning as he did so.

"Eugene…" Rapunzel said slowly. "What were you doing underneath my bed?"

"Uh…sleeping?" Eugene replied, still slightly groggy from having been aroused from sleep so suddenly.

"Why?"

"Well, I started out on the floor next to your bed, but I guess I rolled under there sometime last night." He grinned at her.

Rapunzel giggled, reaching out a hand to smooth down a cowlick in his disheveled hair.

"Does that make you some kind of bed troll?" She asked. "Like the troll that lives under the bridge in that story of fables you read to me in the library?"

"Hey, I will have you know, I am _not _a troll." Eugene said, feigning hurt. "I've met a few troll-like civilians before, and I'm much too handsome to be considered one, thank you very much!"

Rapunzel laughed, and he got to his feet, nearly tripping as he found the blanket he had used wound tightly around his feet. Rapunzel hugged him around his midsection as she, too, set her feet on the cool marble floor, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly, pressing a kiss into her brunette hair.

"Did you sleep alright?" He asked her. She nodded.

"Yes, I did." She said. She cocked her head to the side. "Why did you stay here all night? When did I fall asleep?"

"You weren't asleep very long when your parents came in to say goodnight." Eugene said. "They told me that the council had gathered, and that I was welcome to join them, but I wanted to make sure you weren't alone, so I stayed."

Rapunzel smiled at him gratefully, and he felt her slip her hand into his.

"I wonder if Mama and Daddy are up yet…" She said. "Should we go check?"

Eugene shrugged. "I don't see why not." He said. "Besides, I'm _starved._"

The two of them, still clad in their night clothes and bare footed, made their way down the corridors towards the dining room, gently pushing open the doors and poking their heads inside. Sure enough, the King and Queen sat at the large table, sipping steaming bowls of soup.

The two entered quietly, and Eugene made sure to shut the door behind him.

"Mama, Daddy?" Rapunzel said as she walked towards her parents. "Good morning!"

The royal parents looked up, their tired, drawn faces brightening at the sight of their only child.

"Good morning, darling." Queen Anwen said, smiling at Rapunzel. "Did you sleep well?"

Rapunzel nodded as she took her usual seat. "Thanks to Eugene, I did." She said. "Thank you for letting him stay with me last night."

King Leander cocked an eyebrow and looked towards Eugene as he too took his seat next to Rapunzel. He smiled and looked back at his daughter.

"I saw no harm in it." He said. "I'd say he did a fine job if you slept peacefully."

A servant, having noticed Eugene and Rapunzel's entry, set steaming bowls of soup in front of them – hazelnut, Rapunzel's favorite. Rapunzel was the first to break the silence.

"Did the meeting with the council go well last night?" She asked.

The King nodded. "Yes." He said. "We have come to a conclusion as to what must be done, and how it must be laid out as carefully as possible."

"So what must be done?" Rapunzel said. "What's going to happen to Eugene?"

The Queen reached across the table and laid her hand on Rapunzel's. "There are parts of it you're not going to like, dear." She said, smiling sadly. "But I think you'll find that it's all for the best."

Rapunzel nodded slowly. "So what is the plan?"

"Do you remember my mentioning of your Aunt Colleen from Lunaria?" The King asked. Rapunzel nodded.

"She's your sister." She said. "But I've never met her."

"We sent a messenger to Lunaria in search of her permission for Eugene to seek refuge there with her at her estate until this whole situation settles down very late last night so as to ensure a response as soon as possible" The King explained. "We have only just received her reply back, and she has said that Eugene is welcome to stay with her."

Rapunzel's eyes widened. "You're sending him away?!" She gasped. "How long will he be gone?"

"It's hard to say." The Queen said. "It's one of the things you're not going to like. It could be a few days, or it could be a few months, or even a year. Either way, the council agrees with us that this is the best possible way to ensure Eugene's safety until we can figure out why, exactly, someone wants him killed."

Eugene cocked an eyebrow. "The council is actually concerned for my safety? That's a new one!" He joked. He saw King Leander smirk out of the corner of his eye, but Rapunzel shook her head.

"But what about me?" She asked. "What will I do?"

"You'll stay here." Queen Anwen answered her. "This separation is one we had hoped to avoid, but it seems that it is not going to be so."

Rapunzel shook her head. "No." She said. "If he's going, then I'm going with him!"

"Rapunzel, I don't think that's such a good idea." Eugene said.

"Eugene is right, dear." King Leander said. "This separation is not permanent, Rapunzel, and the council agreed that frequent enough visits would be allowable. We know how close the two of you are, and no one wants the two of you to be apart."

"But I want to go with him!" Rapunzel protested. "I haven't met Aunt Colleen yet, and so this is as good an excuse as any to do so! I could take my books with me so I could keep up with my studies, and I'd make sure my tutors got any work I had, and I would write letters every day, and…"

"Rapunzel, dear, slow down." Queen Anwen said. "There's more for us to tell you." Rapunzel closed her mouth, and allowed her mother to continue. "Eugene _must _leave Corona. The council wants him safe just as we do. He's your suitor, and thus, the future king of the kingdom after you're married one day. We don't know _why _someone has made an attempt on his life, but we are exhausting every possible asset to find out. Until then, Eugene could be in grave danger, and leaving the kingdom is the most reliable way to ensure that he is properly protected. Upon further inspection, we have decided that the best and most inconspicuous way to get Eugene out of Corona and into Lunaria is via criminal transport."

Rapunzel's eyebrow furrowed, and she frowned.

"Criminal transport? What does that mean?"

"Eugene will be traveling under an assumed identity so as to protect him from those who may be watching his every move and try to assassinate him again." King Leander explained. "So, early tomorrow morning, Eugene will be escorted from the castle prisons disguised as a prisoner being transported to one of the prison yards on the perimeter of Corona. He'll have to be bound and blindfolded to conceal his identity, and loaded into a heavily guarded prison carriage and taken to Lunaria. That way, if anyone is watching the castle, all they'll see is a criminal transport leaving, and not a royal carriage, which could attract unwanted attention from unwanted adversaries." He looked at Eugene. "I'm afraid this means you'll have to stay in the prisons tonight. This will allow for an easy exchange tomorrow morning, and added security to ensure that it goes well."

Eugene nodded. "Thank you." He said.

"We believe this to be the best possible way to avoid any further attempts on your life." The Queen said. She smiled at him, her green eyes gentle and loving. "You're just as much a son to us as Rapunzel is our daughter. We only want what's best for you."

Eugene felt his face grow hot in embarrassment, but he smiled back at the kind Queen.

"Thank you." He said.

"We have decided to place Maximus at the head of this operation, along with a select few guards." The King said, chuckling. "He'll provide extra protection and confidence to this mission. He most certainly has proven himself to be such a clever horse! Crime is at an all-time low…"

"Well, it also helps that a certain Flynn Rider is off the streets." Rapunzel teased, elbowing Eugene in the ribs, her eyes sparkling with the familiar hint of mischief that had been suppressed for quite a while. Her face became serious again as she faced her parents again. "But I'd really like to be able to go with Eugene to Aunt Colleen's, even if it's only for a few days to make sure he gets there safely. Please?"

Her parents exchanged a look, their tired eyes meeting.

"We'll discuss it." King Leander promised his daughter, patting her hand. "And we will let you know tonight." He looked at Eugene. "I think it best to begin packing, Mr. Fitzherbert. I have arranged for guards to escort you to the prisons this afternoon around two. I want to make sure that everything is in order, and that you are properly guarded within the cell before the final preparations are made."

Eugene nodded. "I understand." He said.

The Queen looked at her daughter. "You'll be able to visit him, don't worry." She said before Rapunzel could say anything otherwise.

Rapunzel nodded. She took Eugene's hand underneath the table and squeezed it tightly. Worry coursed through her, threatening to overwhelm her. Not only was she going to be separated from Eugene for an indefinite period of time, but he would also have to spend the last day she had with him in a prison cell!

And what if Eugene never made it to Lunaria, no matter the preparations and precautions taken to make sure that he did? Of course she trusted Max; he had saved her, and Eugene, before, hadn't he? But an array of things could go wrong, and at least fourteen of them came to mind immediately. She wasn't sure that Eugene leaving Corona would ultimately solve anything; if someone wanted him dead, they would find a way to make it so, whether he was in the kingdom or not.

A horrible, hollow feeling twisted in the pit of her stomach, and she set down her spoon. She suddenly wasn't very hungry.

...oOo...

Virgil Johansson was not a happy man to begin with, but today was no exception.

First off, yesterday had been the day that that _thief _had been announced as the future king. And not only that, but the entire kingdom had _welcomed_ him, their former most-wanted, had applauded him, had cheered for him. They were fools, each and every one of them. Flynn Rider was no more a future king than a pebble was a future mountain.

Not to mention the assassination attempt had failed. What a pity.

Johansson whistled lightly to himself as he sat down at a table in the pub and ordered a pint of beer, trying to give off an air of civility, though he was bristling with anger and frustration. He looked around the pub as his drink was set in front of him, waiting for his friends to arrive and explain the situation to him.

He didn't have to wait long. Two men entered the pub, both tall and athletic. One had dark brown hair and dark, almost black, eyes, while the other had sandy blond hair, a short beard, and green eyes. They set their sights on Johansson and made their way towards him, setting themselves down on the stools next to him.

"Afternoon, gentlemen." Johansson greeted them. "Care for a drink?"

They shook their heads. "We're dry." The blond one said.

Johansson nodded, and drank the rest of his beer, setting the cup down and paying the bartender. He stood to his feet, and gestured for the men to follow him outside.

"Let's get down to business, shall we, then?" He asked as they walked towards the door. Once they were outside, and away from any prying ears, Johansson stopped and turned to face them.

"Care to explain to me why the assassination attempt did not fall through yesterday?" He asked, his voice calm and even. The men before him towered over his short frame, and yet, he knew that they were under his jurisdiction, and with a simple click of his fingers, they could both be brought to their knees. Johansson was not a man to be reckoned with, despite his size.

The dark haired one rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"We got spotted." He tried to explain. "Last minute. One of the guards pushed Rider out of the way before we could try again. We didn't mean to, Johansson, honestly."

Johansson shook his head. "I don't _care _that you didn't mean to, Burks." He said icily. "What I do care about is the fact that it _didn't work._"

Burks' friend stepped forward to say something, but Johansson cut him off.

"No matter, gentlemen." He said. "I have yet another proposition for the two of you, and a chance to redeem yourselves." He studied them a moment, making sure that his statement had been received, before continuing on.

"The assassination attempt failed, yes." He said. "But I know for a fact that we will be given a window of opportunity tomorrow morning, and I have come up with a way to put a new plan into action."

Burks nodded.

"We're listening."

Johansson smiled. "Good." He said. "As you know, I have my sources from inside the castle, mostly with my former fellow council members that have remained in touch with me since that _thief _made me lose my job. I have only just heard today that tomorrow they plan on discreetly sneaking Rider out of the kingdom and into Lunaria to stay with the King's sister until the, er, situation has blown over."

"Sneaking him out? How do they plan on doing that?"

"He'll be disguised as a criminal bound for one of the labor yards at the edge of the kingdom." Johansson explained. "He'll be guarded, of course, but they won't dare risk sending more guards than is absolutely necessary to avoid suspicion. From there, they'll slip into Lunaria."

"And what do you propose we do?" Burks' friend asked.

Johansson waved his hand at him.

"What I am proposing is this: in the middle of the transport, when the guards least expect it, we jump the carriage and wash their hands of Rider ourselves. Of course, by "we," I mean the two of you. I'll be waiting at the old sugar mill at the edge of the forest, and you'll bring Rider to me there. I want him _alive_, is that understood? I want to make sure my revenge is well understood before I do anything else with him."

The men nodded.

"The plan is simple enough. Bring Rider to me, I'll pay you, and you can go about your merry ways." Johansson concluded. "Do we have a deal?"

Burks and his companion exchanged a look, and nodded.

"Deal." His blond friend said.

"Excellent." Johansson smiled fiendishly. "Thank you, gentlemen."

"One question, though." Burks said. "Once we bring you Rider, what are you going to do with him once we're gone?"

"Simple." Johansson said. "I kill him myself. And this time, I'll make sure there's _ no _chance he'll escape it."


	7. Moss Covered Walls

**Here you go! :D Everything's starting to speed up! I've already got a lot in mind as to where I want it to go, and it won't take but maybe two or three more chapters to get us there, maybe less, depending on their length. :) Pretty excited, but I will warn you, I cried a little, so keep your Kleenex close! If you thought particular parts of "Hangman's Noose" were bad...then these scenes may just kill you...(but don't kill me...that would be bad...)**

**Anyway! Here you go. Fandom favorite Conli makes an appearance! :D**

**CHAPTER SONG: "Not Now But Soon" by Imogen Heap**

_**Disclaimer: Not mine. I tried stealing it but that...didn't end well. So! For now I write fanfiction. **_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Smoke &amp; Mirrors<span>**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll _

_..._oOo...

Rapunzel had not been permitted to accompany Eugene to the prisons, so she had instead focused her energy on her latest mural on the walls of her bedroom. It allowed her, if only for a few, moments of peace and relaxation after the turmoil of the previous day's events, and the events yet to come.

She carefully spread the red paint across the wall, pressing onto the brush and swirling around to create the desired flowered look. Satisfied, she applied a purple center, and then tucked the brush behind her ear, grabbing the other as she did.

Pascal scurried up the wall to examine her work, accidentally stepping in green paint, and she giggled as he tracked a few little green footprints across the paint. He looked at Rapunzel and gave her an apologetic look, and she reached out her hand for him to step on.

"That's okay, Pascal." She said. "I can turn them into ivy leaves!"

Pascal seemed pleased, and she set him on the floor before fulfilling her promise. Finally she stepped back, and nodded in satisfaction.

"There!" She said. "Now that I've painted the entire garden, I can start work on the fountain!"

She crossed the room to the water basin in the corner, where she cleaned her hands. As she was drying them on a towel, there was a soft knock on her door.

"Come in!"

A few seconds later, a guard entered. He bowed to the Princess.

"Pardon me, Princess," he said. "But your presence is requested in the prisons."

"Is everything okay?" Rapunzel asked. "Is something wrong?"

The guard shook his head. "No, Your Grace, nothing is wrong. Your father the King as requested that you pay your visit to Mr. Fitzherbert before nightfall and asked me to escort you."

Rapunzel let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Alright." She agreed. She stooped down and held out her hand for Pascal, and the little reptile eagerly scurried onto her shoulder.

She followed the guard out of her room into the hallway, and from there towards the prisons. She had walked this path many times before, she remembered dryly. A chill ran up her spine as the memories came flooding back all at once, and she quickly repressed them, shoving them and the emotions that came with them back into the furthest reaches of her subconscious. She had only just allowed herself to calm down; she didn't need the anxiety to win.

She was led out into the open autumn air, and as her bare feet hit the cool cobblestones, she shivered. She would have to remember to try on the boots her mother had had made for her…after all, when she had lived in the tower, she had never had to worry about shoes, and only wore socks in the cold months, but now, shoes were something she would have to get used to, especially with the snow winter was sure to bring.

As Rapunzel and the guard approached the door to the prison, two other guards standing at attention opened it for them, allowing them to step inside. The prisons were just as dank and horrendously dark as she remembered them from all those months ago, and the vile stench of the squalid conditions assaulted her nose all at once. Out of the corner of her eye, Rapunzel saw Pascal pinch the front of his face, and she giggled softly.

The prisoners made no attempts to get her attention as she walked past, as they had when Eugene had first been sent to prison. She supposed they had been warned against it, with the threat of punishment should they disobey. Rapunzel was grateful. She didn't know what these men had done to end up here, but she knew it couldn't have been good.

_Ruffians, thugs…_

The guard led her down a flight of stairs, torches lining the walls. She made sure to hold onto the railing that ran alongside the wall, as the cold stairs were wet with water from the earth above. Once they reached the bottom, Rapunzel followed the guard to a heavy wooden door, two guards flanking each side. At the top of the door, instead of bars, there was a tiny sliding hatch, and she noticed that many of the doors were covered with patches of moss from the damp conditions. The guard slid back the hatch.

"Mr. Fitzherbert, Princess Rapunzel is here to see you." He said. He then produced a key from his pocket and put it into the lock, yanking the heavy door oven with a single, swift motion, motioning that it was alright for her to enter.

"Blondie, we have _got _to stop running into each other like this." Eugene joked as she entered the surprisingly well-lit cell, a grin on his face. Rapunzel didn't waste a moment rushing forward into his arms. It felt good to be near him. She pulled away from him for a moment and poked him in the chest.

"Then _you _need to stop getting yourself into trouble, Mr. Fitzherbert." She returned the humor.

"Can't help it; I'm a trouble magnet." Eugene said before kissing her head.

Rapunzel looked around the cell, and noted that this time, Eugene's accommodations, despite their location, were much better than the ones he had been given three months prior. There was a cot in the corner instead of a mound of hay, complete with a pillow and warm blanket, and two torches warmed the area as well as lit it. A book lay discarded, its spine up, on the bed, and Rapunzel smiled when she saw that it was the castle's copy of _The Tales of Flynnigan Rider. _The walls of the cell, like the doors in the hall, were patched with moss, and Rapunzel reached out a hand to touch the plush green plant. Pascal crawled from her shoulder onto the wall and prodded it with his tail suspiciously.

"It threw me off a little, too." Eugene said. "Some kind of wallpaper."

Rapunzel nodded. "I like it, though." She said. "It sort of represents life in the darkest and strangest places."

Eugene smiled at her, and wrapped his arms around her. She gratefully accepted the embrace, laying her head against his chest. While a part of her knew that she should enjoy this moment as long as possible, as it might be the last time it happened for who-knows-how-long, she somehow couldn't find it in her to be anxious. Rapunzel knew, if she knew nothing else, that Eugene would always keep her safe.

They stood there for many moments, enjoying each other's company.

"I wish you didn't have to go." Rapunzel finally said softly. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I know." Eugene said. "But I'll write! Every day if I have to. It's not for forever, Blondie. I could never be away that long. I promise." He leant his forehead against hers, his eyes aligned with hers. "And when _I _promise something, I never break that promise. Ever." He added softly.

Rapunzel gave him a small grin. "I love you, Eugene." She said.

"Love you, too, Blondie."

Rapunzel stepped away from his warm embrace and glanced around the small cell. "I didn't bring anything with me…" She said. "I wish I could have grabbed my sketchbook or something." She peered over his shoulder at the book on the cot. "How far are you in your book?"

"Just started it." He said, walking over to the bed and picking up the beloved novel. "We could read it together, I suppose." He patted the cot next to him as he sat down, and Rapunzel made her way towards him, scooping up Pascal in the process. She plopped down next to him, and he snaked his arm around her waist, and she laid her head on his shoulder. He positioned the book on his lap in front of them, and she helped balance it.

Eugene began to read.

"Chapter one. Vincent…"

...oOo...

By the time one of the guards brought Eugene his dinner and another came to escort Rapunzel to her own, they were already done with the book, and laughing as they discussed the book's content. Eugene had laid himself down on the cot, his hands behind his head as he gazed up at Rapunzel, who had her legs drawn up to her chest as she sat with her back against the wall.

"No, really! When I was a kid, I thought Henrik was pronounced Hen-_reek_, so I always assumed the guy smelled bad!" Eugene said. Rapunzel laughed and shook her head.

"It's Hen-_rick_, Eugene." She said. "But if it makes you feel any better, I feel like Henrik really is stinky. He's not exactly the nicest person and he lives on a _skunk farm._"

"Yeah, not the most glamorous job, I'll admit…"

The guard, who they both recognized as being named Baris, entered the cell through the opened door. He bowed.

"Princess, your parents are requesting your presence at dinner. I am here to escort you there."

"It's time for dinner already?" Rapunzel asked as she set her feet on the floor.

Baris nodded. "Yes, Your Grace."

Rapunzel chewed her lip. "Can you give me a moment to say goodbye to Eugene?" She asked.

Baris bowed, respectfully. "Of course, Your Grace. Take the time you need." He then turned on his heel and left the cell.

Rapunzel slowly rose to her feet, and Eugene did the same.

"I don't know if I'll see you again, before…you leave." She said softly. She met his eyes, and he smiled at her, gently pressing a kiss to her forehead. She threw her arms around him. "I don't want you to go, Eugene!" She said, tears welling in her eyes.

"Hey, it's going to be okay." Eugene whispered as he drew her back and took her face in his hands. " We'll get through this."

She placed her hand on his wrist as he used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away a stray tear that fell. "You won't forget me, will you?" She asked in a small voice.

Eugene looked into her big green eyes, and saw the fear brimming there. She was absolutely terrified that if he went away, he would never come back.

"Hey." He said, snaking one arm around her waist and pulling her close, while grasping her hand in his free one. "Listen. I'm not going anywhere, Rapunzel. This isn't forever. And no matter how far away I am, I am _always _going to love you. I will _never_ forget you. Eventually this will all be behind us, and I'll come back. _I promise._" He captured her lips with his, gently and urgently. They remained there for several minutes, allowing the other to say as they needed without words.

Eventually, they pulled apart, and Eugene held her close.

"I love you." Rapunzel finally whispered.

"I love you, too, Blondie."

She laced her fingers with his, and he held out his hand for Pascal, who remained on the bed, allowing the lovers their moments alone without his colorful interference. He placed him gently on Rapunzel's shoulders.

As she exited the door into the hallway, she squeezed his hand tightly.

_Come back to me, Eugene. I need you. _

He squeezed back, and let go.

And with that, Baris quietly led her through the damp, chilled hallways of the prison dungeons, and towards the dinner hall where her parents waited.

...oOo...

Eugene didn't sleep much that night.

It wasn't that he was concerned about the trip to Lunaria; in fact, that was the least of his worries. He was worried about Rapunzel, his Blondie, and how anxious she had been as of late. She had not returned after Baris had come to take her to dinner with her parents, just as he had predicted – while he had no window or clock to help him discern time, he knew it had been fairly late in the evening by the time she had left – but he still hadn't let go of the hope that she would find a way to meet with him in the morning before he left, however unlikely it seemed.

He thought, very briefly, about the fact that this entire situation revolved around: someone wanted him dead. And they had gone to extreme measures in the square two days ago to try and ensure that their will be done.

Eugene sighed and shook his head, pulling the warm blanket he had been given up to his chin, rolling onto his side. He closed his eyes and concentrated on trying to get some sleep; tomorrow was a big day.

He was awoken by the rapping of a fist on the door of the cell.

"Mr. Fitzherbert," he heard a voice call through the thick wood. "The transport is almost here."

Eugene groaned and rubbed his eyes, yawning. He pushed himself up on the cot. He got to his feet and walked to the bucket in the corner, where he splashed ice cold water on his face. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the door, and then looked at the foot of the cot, where the clothes he had been instructed to wear to avoid suspicion were neatly folded. He quickly peeled off his white cotton shirt, and replaced it with the cold, grey shirt. He decided against the brown pants, and instead kept his black night pants, and pulled on his familiar, worn boots. He picked up the copy of _The Tales of Flynnigan Rider, _and he mentally reminded himself to have one of the guards return it to the library.

After a few moments, there was another knock on his door, and Eugene turned towards it. Three guards came inside, the first being the tetchy Captain of the Guard, who held a pair of iron manacles in his hand. Eugene glanced at them in disdain; he hadn't exactly enjoyed his last encounter with them.

"Have a nice nap, Rider?" The Captain asked.

"Well, yes, actually, thank you." Eugene replied. "Although, the scenery from the window could have been nicer."

The Captain smirked, but said nothing more. He handed the iron cuffs to one of the other guards, an anxious, thin man named Conli.

"Conli, cuff him."

Conli nodded and walked towards Eugene.

"Sorry about this, Eugene." He said quietly. "But we've gotta make it look real."

"No hard feelings." Eugene said, allowing Conli to fasten the shackle his hands, then another set to his ankles, allowing room for him to walk, but nothing more. Another guard came up and pulled a black bag from his belt.

"So if anyone's watching, they won't see your face." He explained when Eugene lifted an eyebrow. He placed the bag over Eugene's head, making sure no distinguishable features were able to be seen, and then took his upper right arm in his hand.

"Let's get this over with, Rider." The Captain muttered as Eugene was led past him.

Eugene allowed them to lead him – albeit roughly – down the hall, and Conli made sure to let him know when they reached the stairs so that he didn't trip, which he was grateful for. The last thing he wanted was a tumble down the stairs.

The bag over his head was beginning to get hot and stuffy, and he found that he was having a bit of a hard time breathing. He supposed that was its intended purpose: to not only make your trek of shame irretraceable, but also to make you as uncomfortable as possible. He could feel the cool autumn breeze as it hit his hands, and it wasn't long before the guards told him to lift his leg. When he did, his foot came into contact with a rung, like on a ladder, and he stepped up, and he felt one of the guards duck his head and push him back onto what felt like a wooden bench. He heard a door slam shut and the carriage – or whatever it was – lurch forward, and he rolled his eyes. Great. He would actually have to make the entire trip to Lunaria with his arms and ankles cuffed and a stupid bag over his head. Just wonderful.

No sooner had the thought occurred that he felt someone reach out and grab the bag, removing it slowly and gently. He blinked against the light that flooded into the carriage through small, barred windows toward the roof at the hooded figure sitting on a similar bench-like seat in front of him. As his eyes adjusted, he made out the face of a smiling girl in the shadows.

"Rapunzel?" He whispered, confused.

Rapunzel smiled at him, throwing her arms around his neck excitedly and hugging him close, nearly cutting off his airway as she did so.

"They said I can come!" She said. "I can come to Lunaria with you! They told me last night at dinner and they sent a massager to Lunaria to let Aunt Colleen to let her know!"

"Thanks great, Blondie." Eugene croaked. "But…"

"What's wrong?" Rapunzel asked.

"I can't…breathe!"

"Oh!" Rapunzel released him quickly. "Sorry!"

"It's alright." He said after a moment of catching his breath. "I'd hug you, too, but, uh…" He rolled his shoulders.

"Oh!" Rapunzel quickly reached into the pocket of her pale blue dress and produced a key. "The Captain of the Guards gave me a key so I could unlock the cuffs, but I forgot I had it." She leant forward and unlocked the cuffs around his boots, then the ones on his hands.

Eugene let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Blondie." He said.

Rapunzel smiled at him, giving him a quick kiss on the check, then, sat back. Pascal crawled into view from underneath her cloak, and she glanced at him. "We're on our way." She said. She frowned. "How long does it take to get to Lunaria, Eugene?"

"About a day." Eugene answered as he put his feet up on the bench Rapunzel sat on and put his hands behind his head. "I hope you brought entertainment. It's going to be a long trip."

Rapunzel nodded and reached underneath her seat to produce a bag. Reaching inside, she brought out three books, a sketchpad and some charcoal pencils, her trusty frying pan, a ball of green yarn and some knitting needles.

"I think I'll be fine." She said, her eyes twinkling. "Oh! I had the Captain grab _The Tales of Flynnigan Rider _from your cell. I thought you might want to bring it with you." She reached back into the bag and pulled the volume from it.

Eugene chuckled as he took the book from her. "I forgot all about getting someone to grab it for me." He said. "Thank you."

Rapunzel nodded, and replaced all but one of the books she held, and flipped it open to where she had gently folded down the upper right corner. She angled herself on the bench seat to where the sun was shining directly onto the pages so that she could see, and Eugene set his feet near hers, opening his own book, smiling contentedly.

It was going to be a long trip, but at least he had company.

...oOo...

They had been on the road for a few hours, and judging from the way the clouds grew more and more dense outside the little windows and the tinking of rain on the hood of the carriage, the weather had grown stormy and rainy. A low clap of thunder rumbled in the distance, and Eugene sighed. It had grown too dim in the little cabin to read anymore, so Rapunzel had resorted to napping, her head resting on his feet, which remained propped up on the bench, which neither looked nor felt extremely comfortable on his side of the bargain, but he couldn't bring himself to wake the peaceful Princess, so he mentally told his legs to quit protesting and shut up. She obviously hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before if she were this tired.

Eugene shut his eyes, hoping to find a nap of his own. Just as they did, however, he felt a jolt underneath the carriage, and his eyes shot open, and Rapunzel awoke.

There were murmurs of confusion from the guards outside, and then a large ruckus as the carriage came to a very sudden halt, and Rapunzel was thrown from her seat towards him, and he caught her before she could fall.

"What was that?!" Rapunzel asked. "Why have we stopped? Are we in Lunaria already?"

Eugene shook his head. "I don't think so. We've only been on the road for a few hours…"

Just then, shouts erupted from outside, followed by the angered whinny of Maximus, who had been pulling the carriage with one of his companion horses. A key fiddled in the lock of the door, and it swung open, rainy wind gusting in as it did so.

Outside stood a figure that was most definitely _not _one of the guards. It was a man, somewhere around Eugene's age, with sandy blond hair with a scruffy beard and narrowed green eyes. Eugene quickly stood to his feet, his legs achy, and faced the stranger, placing himself between him and Rapunzel, shielding her from view.

"Who are you? What do you want?" He asked, his mind whirling with possibilities. _A thief maybe? But why would he be attacking a prison transport wagon? _

The blond grinned menacingly, and tossed his head over his shoulder.

"We've got him!" He yelled to someone that Eugene couldn't see. "He's here!"

Before Eugene had any time to react, the man reached in and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him out of the carriage into the rain, where the two wrestled for a moment, Eugene's survival instincts kicking in. The blond man finally raised his leg and kneed Eugene hard in the gut, and he doubled over, clearly in pain, and the man kicked his side, and he fell to the muddy ground, defeated. Rapunzel squeaked, and tumbled from the carriage to go to his aid.

"Eugene!" She said. She looked at the man. "Let him go!"

The blond man turned and looked at her, and she saw his green eyes grow wide.

He cursed. "Burks, we have a problem!"

A man with dark hair and eyes ran up to him, and looked at where his companion was nodding. He, too, cursed.

"It's the Princess!" He said. "He never said anything about the Princess being with him!"

"Don't hurt her." Eugene gasped from the ground. "Do whatever you want with me, but don't hurt her!"

"Shut him up!" The dark haired one, Burks, said. His blond friend nodded and kicked Eugene in the head, and Eugene went limp, unconscious.

"Stop it!" Rapunzel yelled, looking around for one of the guards. It was then she saw that all five of them had been knocked unconscious as well, laying haphazardly in the mud. She gasped, her green eyes wide, and looked back at the men in front of her, backing herself against the carriage.

"What do we do?" The blond one asked as his friend bent down and hoisted Eugene's comatose body from the ground.

"Knock her out!" Burks said. "We're not after her! We're just after him!"

The blond man nodded, then advanced towards Rapunzel, who quickly realized she had nowhere to run.

"Who are you?!" She demanded. "What do you want with Eugene?!"

A hand connected with the back of her neck, squeezing it at the base, and Rapunzel felt her knees go weak just before the world went black.

* * *

><p><strong>I need a name for Burks' friend. Any suggestions? Hope you enjoyed! :D Can't wait to share the rest with you all soon!<strong>

**EDIT: Noticed a few typos. **


	8. Revelations

**What is this?! An update already?! **

**Currently I'm sitting in a nice little cocoon of blankets and fuzzy socks. We're being hit by Winter Storm Rocky, so everything is pretty much shut down, and the roads are nearly impossible to navigate at the moment, so I'm stuck at home with nothing to do but write. ;) Not only that, but inspiration has struck, and I can't wait to get to what happens next here in the story!" :D So voila! An update! :D **

**AND, not only that, but I pushed two smaller chapters together to give you this! A larger one! This chapter really helps get us to the climax (next chappie) quicker. I'm actually really excited! _(Please note that this chapter is rated T for the use of a somewhat-explicit insult.) _**

**Special thanks to all who suggested names for Burks' companion. I decided on "Teegan." All the names that I was offered started with T, and I decided a T name was befitting somehow. **

**CHAPTER SONG: "Without You" by Breaking Benjamin **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Tangled. I do own a frying pan though! **_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Smoke &amp; Mirrors<span>**

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll _

_..._oOo...

A cool hand pressed against her cheek, and Rapunzel stirred. She groaned as she blinked open her eyes and tried to sit up, only to have someone press her back down gently.

"Sh, darling, take it slow." She heard a female voice whisper.

"Mama?" Rapunzel whispered as she opened her eyes again. Her mother swam into focus as the world around her began to become clearer, and she realized with a start that she was back in her room in the castle. The Queen smiled at her daughter, very gently smoothing back her spiky hair.

"Shhhh, I'm right here." She soothed. "It's all going to be alright."

"What happened?" Rapunzel asked, weakly. "How did I—"

It all came back to her at once, and she sat up, despite her mother's previous warning to take it slow. Her head throbbed, but she ignored it.

"Mama, where's Eugene?!" Rapunzel asked. "There were these men! They took him, Mama! And the guards, they—"

"Rapunzel, slow down." Queen Anwen said. "You've have a rough day."

"But…"

"I don't know where Eugene is, sweetie. The guards said that you were ambushed, and whoever it was took Eugene and left, and the rain washed away their footprints." She enveloped her daughter in a hug. "I'm just glad that they didn't take you as well."

Rapunzel returned her mother's embrace, but shook her head against her shoulder.

"Mama, we have to try and find Eugene!" She insisted. "They said they were after him! I think they're the ones who are trying to kill him, Mama!"

The Queen nodded. "Your father and I had the same suspicion, and the Captain of the Guards has taken a troop of men to scour the area. They'll find Eugene."

"Did they take Max?" Rapunzel asked, knowing that if there were any creature alive that could find her Eugene, it was Maximus. The Queen shook her head.

"He was extremely upset when the guards brought you back and they thought it best if he remained in the stalls until he calmed down." She said. "He seemed worried about you."

Rapunzel chewed her bottom lip, but remained in warm safety of her mother's arms for a few moments more until a knock on the door caused them both to pull apart. Her father stepped into the room, and his kind blue eyes filled with relief when he saw his daughter awake.

"Rapunzel!" He said, crossing to stand at his daughter's bedside. "We were worried about you, dear! Are you all right?"

Rapunzel shook her head.

"No. They took him, Daddy! They took Eugene!" Her eyes filled with tears. "They just _took _him!"

King Leander reached out and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know." He said. "The guards that were with you told me the story until they were knocked unconscious. They said that they didn't recognize the men, but that they got a good idea of what they looked like, and I have one of our artists drawing a sketch of them."

"I can do that!" Rapunzel said. "Easily."

"I don't want you overexerting yourself, dear." The Queen said, firmly. "You're to rest. Let us handle this."

"But I was there! I _saw _them!" Rapunzel was growing desperate. "I can help find him! I know I can!"

"We know you want to help, Rapunzel, but you've had a traumatic experience. The royal physician says that you're fine with no major damage done, but he wants to rest, and I agree." King Leander's mustache twitched as he tried to hide a smile. "I know you're strong and independent, but for now, it's best you stay and rest. We'll find Eugene."

Rapunzel knew there was no use in protesting, so instead she nodded her head, and laid back down. Her mother pulled the duvet up to her chin, and pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead.

"Sleep now. We'll be back in a little while and let you know if we have any information."

Rapunzel nodded. "Thank you, Mama."

Her mother rose to her feet, and her parents made their way towards the door. Rapunzel closed her eyes and rolled over, her back to the door, and waited until her parents were gone. After she was absolutely positive they weren't within earshot, she pulled back her covers and set her feet on the floor, crossing to her closet. She had been changed into her nightgown, the muddy blue gown from earlier gone, and she quickly selected a simple dark green gown from her collection, slipping it over her head and lacing the bodice. She shoved her feet into a pair of warm stockings, but she decided against shoes, knowing that they would only make noise on the marble floors of the castle. She grabbed her riding cloak as well, draping it over her shoulders.

Time was running out for Eugene. She could feel it. And she knew that no one was about to listen to her.

She had to find him.

Rapunzel ran a brush through her short hair and dared a glance in the mirror. There were two bruises on each side of the base of her neck where the blond man had grabbed her, and she shuddered. She didn't know what, exactly, he had done to make her pass out as she had, but she hoped she never had to experience it again.

Satisfied, she grabbed her sketchbook from the bag on the floor that still contained everything she had planned on taking to Lunaria with her, and flipped it open to two open pages. She quickly began to sketch the two men that had taken Eugene, making sure to include the defined features of the dark haired one's cheekbones, and the scruffiness of the blond one's short beard. Underneath each picture she made sure to list their eye colors.

She left the book open on her bed. Her parents would understand when they found it.

She looked around the room for Pascal, and when she didn't see him at first, she felt her heart do a flip in her chest. Had he been left behind when the guards had regained consciousness and brought her back? Surely not…

She heard a squeaking noise, and she glanced up to find the little reptile smiling down at her from the ceiling, obviously overjoyed to see that she was awake and alright.

"Pascal!" Rapunzel whispered. "We have to go!"

Pascal made his way down the wall, and she hurriedly picked him up and held her in her open palms. He gave her an inquisitive look.

"They won't listen to me, Pascal! They won't let me help, and I know I can help find Eugene! Those men are going to kill him if we don't find him in time!" She explained to her friend. Pascal's expression grew more worried and he squeaked a few times.

"Pascal, I can't just sit by and do _nothing_!" Rapunzel said exasperatedly. "I know I shouldn't just leave without telling them where I'm going again, but…"

Pascal shook his head, and Rapunzel sighed. She knew her little friend was worried for her safety and about the repercussions of her sneaking out, but she didn't feel that she had a choice.

"You don't have to come, Pascal." She said finally. "You can stay here. I won't be gone long. I'll have Max with me."

Pascal scowled and crossed his little arms, shaking his head again. He wrapped his tail around one of her fingers, as if holding fast to it. No way was she going anywhere without him!

"Alright." Rapunzel relented, and gently placed him on her shoulder. "But we have to be quiet!"

She tiptoed to her door and opened it quietly, poking her head out into the hallway. Finding it deserted, she slipped outside and made her way down the corridor silently. She ran towards the end of the hallway to the staircase that would take her to the lower corridors, and skipped two steps at a time. As she passed the throne room, she heard voices, and quickly ducked behind a large potted tree.

Three guards passed her and walked into the throne room, leaving a small crack as they closed it partway. Rapunzel left her spot behind the pot and carefully made her way to the doors, where she listened intently.

"Your Majesties," She heard one of the guards address her parents. "We had gotten word from the troop near the Corona border where Prince Consort Eugene went missing some hours before."

"Yes?" Her mother's concerned voice asked. "And?"

It was silent for a moment.

"We believe there is a possibility that the Prince Consort could be dead, or gravely injured, Your Majesties." A guard finally spoke. "They found blood on some of the grass further in the woods that lined the road where the rain hadn't washed it away. There was a lot of it."

Rapunzel gasped, and pressed her hand to her mouth.

_No. _

Eugene couldn't be dead!

"Are you certain?" King Leander asked.

"We believe so, Your Majesty, but we haven't stopped searching."

"See that every man available is sent out to search!" King Leander ordered. "Until a body is recovered, we're to assume that Eugene is still alive. You're not to tell a soul otherwise, are we clear? I don't want to alarm the Princess. She's distraught as it is."

"Yes, Your Majesties."

Rapunzel reeled away from the doors like they had stung her. Without looking back, she sprinted down the hall towards the gardens.

It was still raining, but Rapunzel paid it no mind as she made her way to the stables and rushed inside.

She found Maximus furiously pacing up and down the path between the stalls, his brow furrowed. There were muddy hoofprints on the back of the door and on a few of the walls, indicating that Max had tried quite ferociously to get out. His ears pricked up when he noticed Rapunzel, and he whinnied happily as he trotted to where she stood.

"Hey, boy!" Rapunzel greeted him, giving him a hug around the neck. She scratched his muzzle. "Max, we've got to find Eugene. Can you take me to where they took him?"

Maximus nodded.

"Do you think you can pick up a scent in the rain?"

He nodded again, holding his head up proudly. Max had a nose better than any hound dog.

"Okay, but we have to stop and get some help, okay, boy? We can't do this alone. We need to stop by the Snuggly Duckling on the way there and get some of our friends to help us."

Max nodded, and Rapunzel kissed his nose.

"Thank you, Max!" She said and hoisted herself into his saddle. "Let's go!"

Max whinnied triumphantly and bolted through the open doors of the stables and through the gates of the castle. There wasn't a soul to be found in the streets of Corona as he bolted through them, headed for the bridge that would take them towards the forest paths.

_Hold on, Eugene! _Rapunzel thought as she leant into Max's neck to protect herself from the pelting rain. _I'm coming! _

...oOo...

About twenty minutes later, Max skidded to a stop outside the Snuggly Duckling pub, and Rapunzel leapt from the saddle, rushing into the pub as fast as she could. She yanked open the door and stepped inside the dimly lit but warm room, and all eyes turned to face her.

"Princess!" Hood Hand greeted her, standing and crossing over to her to give her a big hug. "Good to see you!" He set her down and looked over her shoulder, frowning at the weather outside. "What are you doing coming all the way out here in this weather? Where's Eugenie-Boy?"

"He's gone, Hook Hand!" Rapunzel said as she tried to catch her breath. The ride here had taken a lot out of her. "We were on our way to Lunaria until they caught whoever it was that tried to assassinate him and we were mugged and—"

"Mugged?!" Vlad stood to his feet. "By who?!"

"I don't know! I had never seen them before! But they took him and knocked me out and…I don't know!" She was close to hysterics now, and tears began to course down her cheeks. "I need your help. I can't help him by myself!"

"Now just calm down." Hood Hand said, putting his good arm around her shoulders and leading her further into the warm pub. "We'll help ya. But first you've gotta calm down." He glanced down at Rapunzel's shoeless feet. "You outta be wearing some rain boots out there, Princess. Your feet are gonna be soaked!"

Rapunzel nodded. "I know, but boots would have made too much noise, and I'm not used to them yet. I'll be alright if I avoid puddles."

Hood Hand didn't say anything more as he sat her down at the bar, and Big Nose handed her a steaming cup of hot cocoa.

"Thank you, Big Nose." She said, smiling gratefully as she sipped the hot liquid.

"So where exactly are we headed?" Vlad asked.

"Max will take us there." Rapunzel answered. "I couldn't see through the windows of the carriage. They were up high and small, and when I got out I had no idea where I was, so…"

"Do you remember what these guys looked like?" Atilla asked as he reached into the oven to retrieve his pan of cupcakes.

Rapunzel nodded. "They were both tall, but one had blond hair, a beard, and green eyes while the other one had dark brown hair and dark eyes. Like I said, I'd never seen them before! But they knew who Eugene and I were. They said they were only after him and they didn't need me, so they knocked me out and left me…" She faltered off. "They're going to kill him if we don't find him soon! Please, we have to hurry!"

Hook Hand and the others didn't waste any time getting their various weapons – most of which were frying pans – together and saddling their horses (and donkey, in Hook Hand's case). Rapunzel pulled her hood over her head and walked back outside, finding Max sniffing at the air, and then at the ground. His ears pricked and he looked down the road.

Rapunzel followed Max's line of vision, and saw that coming up fast were about five or six Coronian guards on brown horses.

"Hook Hand!" She yelled as she climbed into Max's saddle. "There are guards coming! They know I'm gone! We have to hurry!"

Without another word, Rapunzel and the pub thugs bolted into the line of trees, leaving the guards behind. She glanced over her shoulder, making sure they weren't following, and she saw them dismount and enter the pub, where she knew the remaining thugs would keep them distracted.

They rode for a few minutes, the men following Max's lead, until Max suddenly reared back, and came to a complete stop. Rapunzel was nearly thrown to the ground, but grabbed a hold of Max's mane and managed to steady herself, and Pascal dangled from the hem of her hood.

Max's eyes were wide, his ears alert, and he sniffed the air.

"What's he doing?" Vlad asked.

"I think he smells something!" Rapunzel said. "Do you smell Eugene, boy?"

Max whinnied in reply, and then took off suddenly towards the east.

Wherever it was he was taking them, Rapunzel knew it would lead her to Eugene.

...oOo...

Eugene was awakened quite rudely with a harsh kick to the side, and he gasped as he opened his eyes blearily.

"Wake up!" An abrasive voice demanded as another kick was delivered. "Wakey wakey, Rider."

Eugene's surroundings became much more defined as his focus returned, and he groaned in pain. The two men that had attacked the carriage stood in front of him, and it seemed that the dark haired one – Burks, he recalled – was the one that had kicked him. His ribs, which had been broken during his prison stay three months before, were aching violently, and he wondered vaguely if they had been rebroken. He hoped not. That had been a long and painful recovery.

"Wha…where am I?" He asked. "Where am I?"

His head throbbed, and he went to bring a hand to his forehead, but found that his wrists had been chained behind his back to a tall support beam to what appeared to be a small storage room, completely devoid of furniture or equipment, but hay had been scattered around, and a large pile stood in the corner. He pulled at the chains futilely, testing their strength, and found that they didn't budge even a bit.

"So the infamous Flynn Rider has finally met a predicament he can't get himself out of." An oddly familiar voice taunted from somewhere behind him. "Funny. I had expected it to be at the end of a rope."

Eugene tried to turn himself around to get a good look at the owner of the voice, but the chains on his wrists didn't provide much room for movement. He didn't have to wait long, however, before a small figure moved into his line of vision, a smug and proud look on his round face.

"You?!" Eugene was flabbergasted. "Shorty? From the trial?"

Virgil Johansson smiled, viciously.

"That's right." He said. "So you recognize me."

Eugene smirked. "Kind of hard to forget a face like yours when you were petitioning for my hanging." He spat.

Johansson glared. "And if I had had it my way, we wouldn't be here now, believe me." He said.

"What do you want, Shorty?"

A sharp punch landed on Eugene's jaw, and he tasted blood.

_Damn, that hurt! _

"What I want, Rider," Johansson said, slowly. "Is for you to pay."

Several images came to mind, but the only one that Eugene was concerned about was what they had done with Rapunzel back at the carriage. Were they going to use her against him?

"Where's Rapunzel?" He demanded. "What have you done with her?"

Johansson threw his head back and laughed.

"The Princess? Yes, I heard she was traveling with you to Lunaria." He flicked his wrist, flippantly. "I have no use of her. Burks and Teegan left her behind unharmed, I assure you."

Relief flooded through him, but Eugene refused to allow his guard to falter, even for a moment. Whatever it was that Johansson wanted from him, he was going to have to find some way out of this. And fast.

"Why are you doing this?" Eugene asked, swallowing some of the blood that had pooled at the back of his throat.

Johansson laughed again.

"Simple. I'm seeking revenge."

"For what? Getting you fired?" Eugene said. "You did that yourself! You accused Rapunzel of lying about her story and my scar. I had nothing to do with it."

Another punch was sent his way, and Eugene bit back a cry of pain as Johansson's foot connected with his ribcage as well.

"You think _that _is what this is all about?! Ha!" Johansson grabbed a handful of Eugene's hair and yanked his head up to meet his eyes. "This goes _far _beyond that."

"Watch the hair, would you?" Eugene said, trying to downplay how downright terrified he was growing.

Johansson released his grip on Eugene's brown hair, straightening himself up. He clasped his hands behind his back as he strolled in front of Eugene casually.

"Do you remember, Rider, some of the examples given as to the many exploits you have taken part in over the years? You may recall that the story of a merchant from whom you stole a lifetime's worth of savings, and as a result, his wife died due to his inability to pay for physician."

Eugene swallowed. Yes, he remembered. His past wrongdoings haunted him on a daily basis, each and every one of them.

"Your point?" He spat.

"_My point_ is that I knew that merchant, his wife, and children. In fact, I was quite close to them." Johansson's face was growing red, and Eugene could tell that he was reaching a boiling point in his anger, despite the calm way he paced back and forth. "I'd even go so far as to say they were family…"

"Look, I get that the wife died, and I'm sorry, but— "

The look on Johansson's face turned murderous, and he pounced at Eugene, grabbing the man's neck and pinning it to the pole his back rested against with stunning strength.

"Her name was Diane!" Johansson yelled. "And that merchant? That merchant was _me!_"

Eugene, struggling for breath, was astounded.

"You stole my entire life's savings, and my precious wife _died _because of you, you greedy good-for-nothing! I was left with nothing! And with two children to care for! I had to work my way up from _dirt_. It took six years, but I finally made it to the royal council! And then you show up at the castle doorstep with the Princess, and I think my wife's death is finally avenged when you're sentenced to hang, and what happens?! You somehow manage to get away with a pardon! A full pardon! And then they give you the title of Prince Consort and declare _you _the future king?! _You, _the bastard child of a lord and a chambermaid?! An _orphan_ and a thief that no one wanted, with no lineage, or anything worth saving?!" Johansson laughed cruelly. "Pathetic!"

He released Eugene's throat, and the ex-thief gasped as he choked, coughing up some of the blood from his mouth as he did so.

"Johansson," he said. "I…I didn't know. I—"

Johansson cut him off by grabbing his hair once more.

"There is _nothing _you can do or say that will ever bring her back, that will _ever _cause me to grant you forgiveness!" He growled, his voice dripping with venom. "You're finally going to pay for what you did to me all those years ago! And this time, you won't be able to escape it."

He kicked Eugene once more in the stomach and turned to walk out the doorway, passing Teegan and Burks as he did so. In their hands they held torches.

"Light it up, boys." He commanded.

And with that, Burks tossed his torch on the ground, and the straw ignited to life.

* * *

><p><strong>Yikes! Don't kill me! -runs and hides-<strong>

**EDIT: Yet again, typos. I need a beta. Anyone interested?**


	9. Smoke

**This chapter about killed me to write. It really did, in more ways that one. First off, it was a little hard to channel the emotions I wanted into the urgency this scene allots, and that was pretty painstaking. But I think I did a pretty good job, considering how fast paced this chapter is! :D Second, it was emotional. We'll just leave it at that, shall we? ;) ;) **

**Enjoy, and Happy March everyone! :D **

**Also, WANTED: Anyone interested in participating in yet another one of my art commissions, please let me know in a review, or a PM! I'm pathetically bad at drawing. :/ **

**CHAPTER SONG: "Only You're the One" by Lifehouse. (Believe me, you'll know the scene when you read it!)**

_**Disclaimer: I don't even own a single right. -le sigh- **_

* * *

><p><strong>Smoke &amp; Mirrors<strong>

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll _

_..._oOo...

Rapunzel saw the smoke before she smelled it.

She looked up and saw it billowing above the treetops, thick and black as night. Maximus continued to lead them through the woods towards it, and Rapunzel felt a sickening knot grow in her gut. Somehow, she knew this was not going to end well.

Max made a left turn, and with a single leap through the brush, she and the others emerged into a clearing in front of a large building that appeared to have been some sort of mill at one point in time, with a large chimney and a waterwheel beside a dried creek bed. It was in considerable amounts of disrepair, and it seemed to sag just a little, as thought slumping its shoulders in defeat.

Smoke poured from every structural orifice, fire licking the sky and blackening the wood as it burned, and it was spreading _fast. _Outside, about twenty feet from the building, stood three men: two tall, and one short.

Max reared back, stopping short. Rapunzel quickly climbed down from the saddle and grabbed his reigns, trying to calm him. Max's eyes narrowed as he stared at the building in front of him, and then he bolted forward, yanking the reigns from Rapunzel's grasp as he did so. He raced towards the three men, and before any of them had any time to do anything, he stepped in front of them, baring his teeth. The three men jumped back, surprised, and backed away from the snarling horse. Pascal emerged from his mane, and he took his place atop Maximus' head, glaring.

Vlad, Hook Hand, and Big Nose each hurried to join Max, and grabbed the three men from behind, dragging them back. Vlad held the two taller men, their heads under each arm, and Hook Hand had the smaller man suspended in the air by his shoulders, and his feet flailed as he dangled.

They dragged the man back to where Rapunzel and the others waited at the forest line, and Rapunzel gasped as she recognized them.

"You!" She said, pointing to the two men Vlad held. "You're the ones that took Eugene!"

"You're too late!" The short man laughed cruelly. "Flynn Rider is as good as dead!"

Rapunzel reeled around to face the man, and her eyes widened in shock.

"Mr. Johansson?!" She said. "From the royal council? But...I don't understand..."

Virgil Johansson smirked.

"I should have known you would come for him." He said shortly. "You just can't seem to let fate take control, can you, you meddling girl?"

Hook Hand held fast to the man's arms, and pointed the sharp end of his hook at Johansson's throat.

"Watch it, pal." He growled. "That's the Princess you're talking to!"

"I know very well who she is!" Johansson snapped.

"What did you do to Eugene?!" Rapunzel demanded, bringing her face so close to Johansson's their noses almost touched. "What do you mean I'm too late? Where is he?"

"If the fire hasn't gotten to him yet, it will soon enough!" Johansson said as Hook Hand's hook dug deeper into his chin. "There isn't a chance in the world he'll be able to escape this one!"

The sudden realization hit Rapunzel like a ton of bricks.

Eugene was inside the burning building.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel cried, turning her attention to the fire-engulfed mill. "Eugene, no!"

She bolted towards the building, setting her eyes on the open doorway. And just as her friends realized what she was doing, she ran through it into the blaze.

"Princess, NO!" Big Nose yelled, running after her. But just as he was about to follow her inside, the doorway collapsed, taking with it the only way in…and the only way out.

...oOo...

Rapunzel could barely breathe as she was immediately engulfed by the smoke and flames of the mill. Above her, the ceiling had begun to catch fire, and she knew it wouldn't be long before it took over completely. It was unbearably hot, the smoke choking, and she coughed, holding her arm up to her mouth for protection.

"Eugene!" She called. "Eugene, where are you?!"

She ran forward, desperately trying to see through the thick haze. As she did, she felt her cloak catch on something, and turning around, she found it had snagged on a fallen timber, and was beginning to melt away as fire reached its edges. She quickly untied the strings and dropped it, dashing towards what appeared to be another doorway ahead.

"Eugene!" She coughed. "Eugene, answer me!"

Sweat poured down her face, and she felt desperate tears begin to well up in her stinging eyes, making it even harder for her to see. It was growing hotter and hotter by the second, and she heard the wood of the structure creak as it began to break down.

She was running out of time.

"Eugene! Eugene, answer me!"

And then she heard it.

Coughing.

She looked to her left, and saw another doorway through the flames. Without a second thought, she hurried through it, hoping and praying that Eugene would be on the other side.

...oOo...

Eugene pulled desperately at the chains on his wrists, trying to pull them apart. The straw had caught fire immediately, and had spread quickly to the walls and ceiling of the storage room. The fire licked at his boots, and he fought back panic as he saw that it was nearly at the pole he was tied fast to. The metal of the manacles was growing increasingly hot, singeing the skin and hair of his wrists.

_Come on, Fitzherbert, THINK! _He thought, frantically trying to formulate a course of action.

His head swam, and he was finding it harder and harder to stay focused as the situation grew more and more bleak. He couldn't breathe; the smoke was suffocating, and he hacked as he took an intake of breath as he felt a burning ember strike the bare skin of his hands.

Eugene tried one last time to pull himself free of the shackles, putting every ounce of strength he had left into it, only to fall back in defeat as another coughing fit pvertook him. Waves of nausea made their way through his body, and he felt himself growing more and more lightheaded.

_So this is how it ends. _He thought blurrily. _I'm so sorry, Rapunzel. I guess I broke my promise..._

"Eugene!" A voice called through the crackling flames. "Eugene, answer me!"

_Great. Now I'm hallucinating. _

And then, there she was.

Rapunzel.

"Eugene!" She cried as she saw him, and she rushed to his side, falling to her knees and taking his head in her hands. His amber eyes were slightly unfocused, his breathing labored. Blood ran down the side of chin from his mouth, and a dark bruise was rapidly forming on his jawline. "Eugene, look at me!"

Eugene blinked, and opened his mouth to say her name, but found that he didn't have the strength, and his body racked with another coughing fit. The smoke was getting to him, and if he didn't get out of here fast, he was going to pass out completely, and then that would be the end.

"Rapunzel." He said. "Rapunzel, you have to get out of here!"

Rapunzel shook her head. Her face was streaked with dirt and soot, but she was still just as beautiful as she had ever been. He was thankful that if he had to die, for real this time, at least he got to see her face one more time.

"No!" She said. "It's going to be okay! We're going to get out of this!"

She looked towards the shackles, grabbing at them. She pulled her hands back when she realized that they were scorching hot. The skin around them had turned bright red and tiny blisters were beginning to form, and she could see where the edges of the cuffs had cut into the tops of his wrists, and the blood had already dried from the heat.

"I've got to find a way to get these off!" She said, frantically looking around the room for anything she could use as a tool. "Just stay with me!"

"Rapunzel, it's no use!" Eugene insisted. "I've already tried everything! You've got to get out of here before the building collapses!"

"No! Not without you!" She dropped back to her knees. "I won't leave without you!"

"Rapunzel—"

"No!"

"Rapunzel, listen to me!" Eugene said as he fought against another episode of coughing. "You can't stay here! You have to leave! Get out now! Leave me!"

"No!" She said. "I won't leave without you, Eugene! Please!"

"Rapunzel, this whole place is about to fall! I can't let you do this!" _Why doesn't she **get **it?!_

"And I can't let you die!" Her voice was growing frantic.

"Blondie, please, get out!" He rested his forehead to hers, making sure her eyes met his. "Please, Rapunzel, don't stay here. Get out of here while you still can. Do it for me. Get out of here!"

Tears welled in her big green eyes, running down her sooty cheeks, mingling with the sweat and grime. She knew this was not a battle she could win.

"Eugene." She sobbed. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Rapunzel. Please, please get out." He pressed a kiss to her hair, tears beginning to well in his own eyes. "I love you more than anything in this world, but I can't let you do this. Not for me. Not this time."

Rapunzel hugged him tightly, shaking in trepidation as she held on to him as though he were a buoy on a stormy sea. The fire was at the support pole now, making its way downward towards the couple huddled there. Eugene could feel the back of his neck growing warm as it crept ever closer, the sweat plastering his hair to his head and forehead, rolling down his face like rivers and dripping from the tip of his nose.

If this is what a sauna was like, he decided he would pass.

"Rapunzel." He whispered. "Go."

She shook her head, refusing to allow herself to believe that this truly was the end. They had come so far only to have it end here, and it wasn't fair. She had saved him not once, but twice, and yet here she was, unable to do it a third time, and it was killing her, taking hold of her heart and twisting her into immobilization. She nestled closer to him, allowing herself these final, agonizingly short moments. She couldn't breathe; the smoke and grief mingled together in a toxic, vile lump at the back of her throat.

The creaking of the wood around them began to grow louder, and Eugene knew time was running out.

"Rapunzel, you have to go, _now._" He said. "_Now."_

Rapunzel pulled herself away, and their eyes met. He tried to look brave, for her, tried to make it seem as though it would all be okay. But he knew it wasn't, and he knew that she knew it as well.

This was it.

He could hear the sound of wood breaking somewhere outside the storage room, and he swallowed panic. Rapunzel had to get out.

And then, a voice.

"Princess! Princess, where are you?"

Rapunzel felt a glimmer of hope begin to rise within her chest, and she looked at Eugene excitedly.

"That's Vlad!" She said. She let go of Eugene and cupped her hands to her mouth. "Vlad! In here!"

Moments later, the large shape of Vlad appeared in the smoke filled room. Rapunzel quickly moved behind Eugene, taking note for the first time of the fire that was engulfing the pole, and pointed to the shackles.

"Vlad, help me!" She cried. "I can't get the chains loose!"

"Stand back!" Vlad said as he came over to where the Princess stood, shoving her behind him. He bent down and took the links connecting the manacles in one of his huge hands and yanked his arm backwards in one swift motion.

The chains snapped.

Eugene, still struggling to breathe and see, quickly stood to his feet. Vlad waved his arm towards the doorway from which he had come.

"We've gotta get outta here, quick!" He said. "Follow me! Stay close!"

Rapunzel grabbed Eugene's hand, squeezing it tightly, and she tried to smile at him as she brought her arm up to cover her mouth. He offered her a small smile back, entwining their fingers further as they quickly followed Vlad from the room.

Together they ran, led by Vlad, through the burning, crumbling building around them. Beams had fallen to the ground, and they made their way around them as if navigating through a labyrinth, carefully minding the flames that reached out toward them, trying to bite them.

Rapunzel hacked violently as a gush of smoke slapped her face, and she hesitated for just a moment. It was so hot…

"We're almost there, Blondie, come on!" Eugene urged her. "You can do this!"

He was just about to call to Vlad to help him when he felt something hot and scalding hit the exposed skin of his arm, and he cried out in pain. He let go of Rapunzel's hand and grasped at his arm, hissing in pain and squeezing his eyes closed, gritting his teeth.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel cried. "Are you alright?!"

She stepped forward, and in her haste, she failed to notice the pile of the glowing red hot embers on the floor in front of her.

She screamed in pain as they came in contact with both of her stockinged feet and burned away at the fabric, reaching the soles of her feet within seconds.

She couldn't move. The pain was searing, absolutely agonizing, and so intense she felt dizzy. She stumbled backwards, away from the source of the pain, and fell. Tears coursed down her cheeks, and she grabbed her feet in her hands, trying desperately to make the pain go away.

"_Rapunzel!_" Eugene, forgetting his own pain, rushed forward and bent down, scooping Rapunzel into his arms. She coughed, still whimpering in pain, and he ran forward, dodging falling timbers as he did so. He could see Vlad ahead of them, and he locked eyes on his friend's back, following him through the smoke.

"Eugene, my feet!" She cried. "My feet are burned!"

"It's going to be okay, Rapunzel." Eugene assured her as he ran, holding her closer to his body to protect her. "We're going to get out of here. Just hold on."

"It hurts." She said. "It hurts, Eugene!"

"I know, Blondie, but we're almost there, and then we can get you some help, okay?" He coughed, stumbling just a little as he did so. "Just a little bit further."

He could see it. The opening in the wall that Vlad had come in through, jagged at the sides indicating a forced entry. On the other side lay safety.

With a sudden burst of energy he sprinted forward and dove through the breach into the fresh, open air. He sprinted towards the line of trees at the edge of the mill's clearing, where Maximus and the other pub thugs waited.

Just as he reached them, the mill's final support gave way, and the entire building collapsed. He looked back at it, gasping for breath, and watched as the smoldering remains turned black as the fire consumed them. Ashes rained down on everything around them like black snow, clinging to their wet hair, skin, and clothes.

_That was almost me. _He thought. _That was almost Rapunzel. _

He looked down at the girl in his arms. She had pressed her face into his shoulder, shaking in pain and fear, his shirt balled into her tight little fists, and she, too, turned to look up at him. She, too, was struggling for air, and he could see the agony written across her face with perfect clarity. And yet, through it all, she still managed to smile up at him and loop her arms around his neck, hugging him close.

"We made it." She said, almost in disbelief. "We made it!"

Despite the biting pain in his arm and the aches in his body, and the knowledge that they had almost not made it out of this one alive, he couldn't help it: he laughed, and then lent down and kissed her.

"We made it."

* * *

><p><strong>I like this chapter. I actually really do. <strong>

**Your thoughts?**


	10. Mirrors

**To explain, it took me FOREVER to write this chapter because the past two months have been filled with preparations for my graduation from community college with my first degree, which included several projects and exams (15 credit hours hurts), as well as my choir concert, and starting my second job as a book keeper! :D I apologize for the wait, and thank you for your patience! **

**CHAPTER SONG: "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark" by Fall Out Boy**

_**Disclaimer: You know what sucks? Not owning a gosh dang thing. I tell ya... **_

* * *

><p><strong>Smoke &amp; Mirrors<strong>

A "Tangled" fanfiction

_by doodlegirll _

_..._oOo...

Eugene still held Rapunzel in his arms as he, Hook Hand, Vlad, and Big Nose turned away from the smoldering remains of the mill and made their way into the woods. The other pub thugs, led by Maximus, had gone on ahead with Johansson, Burks, and Teegan, presumably to the Snuggly Duckling, until the others got there. Eugene had not seen the three men since they had set fire to the mill and left him to die, but he would make it a point to pay them a visit once he and the others returned to the castle.

Rapunzel still whimpered in pain from time to time, and Eugene had not gotten a chance to properly examine her feet just yet, and he set about finding the creek he knew ran through the forest.

They didn't have to look very hard. Setting his eyes on it, he carried Rapunzel to the bank.

"Blondie," he said. "This is going to hurt at first, but it will make your feet feel better, okay?"

Rapunzel nodded, biting her bottom lip in anxiety. The pain was still agonizing, stinging, and hot.

Eugene gently lowered her to sit on the bank, setting her feet in the ice cold water. Instantly Rapunzel recoiled, yelping in pain. She pulled her feet out of the water and hugged her knees to her chest.

"It hurts!" She said.

"I know." Eugene soothed. "But it will help, I promise. Just trust me."

Rapunzel nodded slowly, and eased her feet back into the water, hissing as they came in contact with the liquid. After a few moments, her face and body relaxed, and she let out a sigh.

Eugene lowered his wrists, still clad in iron shackles, into the water as well, allowing it to soothe the chapped skin. It was a relief, and he was finally able to see the damage. The shackles made it hard to get an accurate look, but he could see small blisters around the edges. It hurt, and he wished he had a bobbypin to pick the locks with.

The burn on his arm from whatever it was that fell on him – a piece of the ceiling, he suspected – wasn't much better. In fact, it was worse. The wound itself was about the size of his hand, and he could see that several layers of skin had been destroyed, with some of the outlining areas blackened. Blood and clear plasma oozed from it, and he didn't dare touch it. The cool water of the river had helped with the swelling around it, and for now, he was fine.

After a few moments, he moved to inspect the soles of Rapunzel's feet, gently lifting it out of the cold water. The stockings that had covered them had burned away, completely exposing the skin, which was about as bad as the burn on his arm, though he was relieved to not that none of her skin had been blackened. The soles of her feet were a deep red, with blisters the size of small coins forming, and a few places were bleeding slightly. Rapunzel took a sharp intake of breath when one of his fingers lightly grazed one of the sores, and he winced slightly.

"I'm sorry." He said, lowering her foot into the water again. Thinking quickly, he tore the hem of his shirt into two strips and very gently wrapped Rapunzel's feet in the makeshift bandages before doing the same for his arm.

"Eugene, your wrists," Rapunzel said as he finished up.

"I know." He said. "I'll get a guard to take them off when we get back to the castle." He looked at his friends, who were watching from the bank. "How far are we from the Duckling?"

"Not far." Hook Hand replied. "It's about a fifteen minute walk."

"We've got to get her back to the castle." Eugene said. "Her feet are badly burned."

"So are your wrists and arm!" Rapunzel said, refusing to allow Eugene to downplay his own injuries.

Eugene didn't respond, and instead scooped Rapunzel back into his arms. She wound her arms around his neck and laid her head against his shoulder. He turned back to face the pub thugs, nodding to them. They began the trek back towards the Snuggly Duckling, where they would find Maximus, and, with any luck, a few guards to help them escort Johansson and his goons to the castle.

"C'mon, Blondie." He whispered in Rapunzel's ear. "Let's go home."

...oOo...

About half an hour later, the Snuggly Duckling finally came into view, and Eugene let out a sigh of relief when he saw the horses of the palace guards tethered outside. Rapunzel saw them, too, and she hugged his neck tighter, knowing they were finally on their way to safety.

Vlad opened the door to the Duckling, and they walked into the dimly lit room, where they found the remaining thugs, and five Corona guards, and the two groups were arguing. Behind a ring of thugs stood Johansson and his two accomplices – Burks and Teegan, he remembered – unable to move. Maximus stood at their sides, snarling, Pascal on his head doing the same.

"I am telling you, by order of the _King and Queen of Corona, _they are to be taken into custody immediately for questioning!" The Captain of the Guard stomped his foot in emphasis. "And if you don't hand them over immediately, I'll see to it that you're arrested and taken straight to prison!"

The thugs smirked, and it was Attila who spoke.

"I'd like to see you try, buddy."

The Captain's face turned beet red, and he growled.

"If that's the way you want it, fine!" He flicked his head. "Arrest them!"

"No!" Rapunzel squeaked.

All eyes turned to face her, and the guards stared, flabbergasted, at her in Eugene's arms, taking in their soot smeared faces and haggard appearances.

"Princess!" The Captain said. He nodded at Eugene, his eyes narrowing slightly at the Prince Consort. "Fitzherbert."

It was as formal as it was about to get any time soon, so Eugene accepted it and gave the captain a nod in return.

"Don't arrest them!" Rapunzel said. "They're my friends! They helped me! I never could have found Eugene without them!"

"We'd both be dead if it weren't for them." Eugene agreed as he crossed the room to set Rapunzel down on a chair. "Especially Vlad."

Vlad rubbed the back of his neck, obviously unused to the attention, but said nothing.

The Captain shook his head. "Either way, they have to hand over the criminals." He said.

"Oh, we will." Hook Hand said. "We just want to make sure they get to the kingdom first."

The Captain bristled. "My men and I are more than capable of escorting them to the kingdom!" He said, indignantly.

"With all due respect, your shininess," Hook Hand poked the Captain's armor with his hook, glaring. "You tend to lose bandits like marbles."

"I do not!"

Hook Hand raised an eyebrow. "Really? I seem to remember a certain thief that you couldn't keep in custody no matter how many times you apprehended him."

The other thugs laughed, and Eugene smirked slightly. It _was _true!

The Captain, obviously embarrassed, slapped Hook Hand's hook away and stepped back, addressing his men.

"Come on, men." He said. "Let's get back to the kingdom." He gestured for the thugs to follow, and they jostled Johansson and his men towards the door.

Eugene scooped Rapunzel back into his arms and helped her into Maximus's saddle.

"Watch your feet." He said softly. "Don't get them caught in the stirrups." He looked at Max. "Watch the potholes, buddy."

Max rolled his eyes and flicked his tail in Eugene's face as he passed him out the door.

Eugene fell into step with the guards that followed alongside Max and Rapunzel, right behind Johansson, Burks and Teegan. Eugene sent the three of them death glares as they dared a glance over their shoulders from time to time. It was one thing that they had tried to kill him, but Rapunzel was another story entirely.

And yet, he couldn't help but feel the guilt begin to rise at the base of his spine and spread to his heart.

Johansson's wife, Diane…she had _died _because of him. If he hadn't stolen that money all those years ago…he tore his gaze away from the backs of his enemies' heads and instead looked at the ground.

He reasoned it was the same way he felt now: anger. Undeniable, insatiable, burning fury boiled in his stomach at what they had nearly done to Rapunzel. If she hadn't been trying to save him, she would never have been in that burning mill, and if she had never been in that burning mill, she never would have gotten hurt and she would not have nearly perished with him.

Eugene was so engrossed in everything circulating through his head, he didn't notice that they had reached the bridge that would take them into Corona. He blinked in surprise, wondering how long, exactly, he had been lost in thought.

Rapunzel looked down at him from atop Maximus.

"Eugene?" She asked softly. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Eugene turned his head to look at her inquisitive face. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine, Blondie." He answered, grinning at her. "Never better."

He knew she knew he was lying, but she didn't say anything as she gave him a smile back. She would worm it out of him later.

The Captain led the troupe through the streets of Corona, and people began to line the curbs in curiosity. They whispered to themselves as they passed, and many children waved to Rapunzel, and she smiled and waved back.

Eventually, they made their way to the gates of the castle, and the guards positioned outside them opened them wide, allowing for them to pass through into the safety of the castle walls. Eugene helped Rapunzel down, and she allowed him to carry her into the castle.

They headed for the throne room, following the Captain closely. He had Johansson by the collar of his shirt, and the shorter man shuffled to keep up with the Captain's long, determined strides. Two guards followed behind him dragging Burks and Teegan, and Eugene held Rapunzel tightly as they enter.

"Your Majesties," the Captain booms, shoving Johansson forward. "I believe these to be the men you're looking for."

"Rapunzel!" Queen Anwen says, spotting Eugene and the princess as they enter behind the Captain and Johansson. "Eugene!"

She rushes forward, and places her hands on Rapunzel's face.

"My gracious, we were so worried about you!" The Queen said, tears welling in her eyes. "We come to tell you about a possible lead only to find you missing, and no note. We found the sketches of the men on your bed and Maximus gone so we knew that you must have…" She shakes her head and kisses her daughter's forehead. "Don't ever do that again! Oh gracious, Rapunzel, we were so worried."

"I'm sorry, Mama." Rapunzel says, not meeting her mother's eyes. "I just…I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright, dear." The Queen kissed her forehead again. "We were just so worried…"

She raised her eyes to look at Eugene, and she smiled at him as she placed a hand on his cheek, her motherly instincts kicking in for the young man that held her daughter in his arms. "I'm so glad to see you safe as well, Eugene. We were worried about you as well."

Eugene smiled. "Thank you." He said.

The Queen smiled, and stepped back to look at the two of them, noticing for the first time their messy appearances. She noticed the shackles adorning Eugene's wrists, the broken chains dangling, the skin around them bright red. She could see another bright red patch on his left arm, though it was mostly covered by Rapunzel's body. Her eyes traveled from the Prince Consort to the Princess. For the most part, Rapunzel looked fine. Her face was smudged with dirt and grime, she looked tired, but she was otherwise fine.

And then she saw the wrappings around her feet.

"Rapunzel! What happened to your feet?!"

Behind her, her husband grabbed Johansson by the collar.

"Johansson!" He hissed. "I should have known."

Johansson glowered, refusing to open his mouth to speak. Behind him, the guards held fast to his accomplices, least they tried to help him or escape. There was no way he was going to spill his guts about his motives here. Not with Rider in the room. The fact that he had yet again escaped death repulsed Johansson to the verge of vomiting, and he was suddenly unsure as to how, exactly, he had planned to get away with what he had done. But for now, he wasn't talking.

The King glared at the short man for a few moments more before he released him, realizing he wasn't about to speak now. He pushed him backwards forcefully.

"Get them out of my sight." He ordered the guards, growling. "I want them locked under careful watch and the highest security possible! The council will gather to decide their fates within the coming week after Princess Rapunzel and Prince Consort Fitzherbert have had time to recover from their injuries. Now take them away!"

Johansson and the others were forcibly dragged from the room, and for the first time since the ordeal started, Eugene was able to take a much needed breath.

...oOo...

Eugene winced as a key was inserted into the lock of one of the cuffs on his wrists, the metal finally ceasing its rubbing against his raw skin. Dr. Hendricks tsked under his breath as he asked the other guard to remove the other cuff as well. He took one of Eugene's wrists in his hands, turning it over carefully.

"You've suffered some pretty intensive burns," he said after a moment's examination. "But nothing so serious that it cannot be healed."

Eugene nodded, and Dr. Hendricks moved to the burn on his arm.

"I assume this one is quite painful?" He asked, taking in the blackened tissue that oozed a slick clear liquid.

Eugene grimaced as Dr. Hendrick's experienced fingers gently probe at the injury. "A piece of ceiling fell on me." He explained. "Better on me than Rapunzel."

Dr. Hendricks hummed in agreement. After a few more minutes, he once again took a look at Eugene's wrists. Clearing his throat, he spoke.

"Your wrists are badly burned. The cuffs used to restrain you became hot as the fire around you heated them. I am assuming there must have been a flame close to your hands for the manacles to grow hot enough to do damage. Blisters formed underneath, and the rubbing of the cuffs caused them to rupture, which is most likely a large portion of your pain. However, they should heal nicely with very little complications."

Eugene swallowed and nodded, allowing the royal physician to continue.

"Now as for your arm, I would expect it will take longer to heal, with quite a bit of scarring. The first and second layers of your skin have been burned away, so we'll have to keep an eye out for infection. I want you to wear a sling for at least a few weeks to prevent accidental overuse and further injury." He turned his back to the Prince Consort and crossed the room to a counter, where he pulled a small jar from a cabinet.

"This is a cream made from the leaves of the magical flower that saved the life of our Queen before Princess Rapunzel was born. It should help with the pain, and speed up the healing process." He explained as he dipped the corner of a clean cloth into it before gently dabbing it onto Eugene's blistered and singed skin.

Instantly, the stinging pain of the burns and blisters faded away, and Eugene remembered the first time he had encountered the healing power of the sundrop flower in the woods following the scene at the Snuggly Duckling that had nearly ended in his and Rapunzel;s drowning, the very same flower that had ended up saving his life later. Somehow that flower had decided that it wanted to be a part of his existence.

After applying generous amounts of the salve to the burns, Dr. Hendricks wrapped them in soft gauze and bandages.

"I want to see you in here three times a day to change your bandages until further notice." The doctor instructed as he crafted a sling and helped Eugene ease his arm into it. "_No _roughhousing or overexerting yourself, am I clear?"

Eugene grimaced as he rolled his shoulder, but nodded and gave the doctor a grin and a cocked eyebrow. "Don't trust me, doc?"

Dr. Hendrick's blue eyes were stern, but his mouth twitched into a smile. "Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Fitzherbert." He said, and saw Eugene to the door.

...oOo...

Eugene could not sleep.

He had been tossing and turning for hours, trying to find a comfortable position, what with his bandaged wrists and his arm in the sling, but he had found that even when he did find a pose that was even somewhat comfortable, as soon as he closed his eyes, the image of Rapunzel, surrounded by flames, her face smudged with tears, soot, and blood, flashed before him, jolting him back awake.

He sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his good hand. The day's events had rendered him exhausted, and yet here he was, unable to find a moment's rest. Johansson had stolen that from him.

_Johansson. _

Anger boiled deep inside of Eugene's chest. Whilst Eugene understood that Johansson was merely a man out for revenge, and Eugene regretted the reasons behind Johansson's blood thirst, he couldn't seem to get over the fact that Johansson's attempt on his life had nearly taken Rapunzel down with it. He was one thing, but she was another entirely. He hadn't died for her once for nothing.

He got to his feet, and made his way to the door. Maybe a walk in the gardens would do him some good.

As he made his way down the corridor to the gardens, Eugene allowed his mind to wander. How, exactly, had things taken such a dramatic turn in such a short amount of time? Six months ago he had been a thief, a man on the run with a bounty on his head a mile high, with a smirk on his face and a heist in his brain. And now, here he was: a Prince Consort, a man of high honor, with the most remarkable woman in the world at his side as the one he hoped to spend the rest of his life with. He lived in a castle, with servants at his beck and call, and not a care in the world. Flynn Rider was dead, Eugene Fitzherbert alive.

And in those six months, so much more had happened than he had ever dared to imagine: he had given up his life of thieving and treachery in the name of a young, spirited blonde haired (now brunette), green eyed girl. With three whacks to the head with a frying pan, a magical flower, and a near death (actual death, he conceded) experience, he was hers. He had never looked back, and he promised himself he never would. But there had also been a _very _close call with the gallows, two trials, Prince Consort lessons, a public debut, an assassination attempt, a kidnapping, and yet another near death experience added on top of it all. It was all suddenly incredibly overwhelming to Eugene, looking back on all he had accomplished now.

He didn't even realize where he was headed until he found himself outside the doors of the prison, where two guards stood positioned outside, as per usual. Stopping, he gazed up at the imposing wall before him, remembering quite clearly his own stay here not all that long ago. Sighing, he once again set his sights on the door. The guards allowed him to pass without question, and he made his way inside.

Another guard positioned inside looked surprised to see him. "Johansson?" He questioned, and Eugene suddenly recognized him as one of the guards from the Snuggly Duckling earlier.

Eugene nodded, and the guard waved his hand, indicating for Eugene to follow him. He led him down the hall to a barred cell door. Peering inside, Eugene could see a dark figure huddled in the corner of the cell.

The guard rattled the bars. "Wake up, Johansson." He said roughly. "Visitor for you."

He nodded to Eugene, and walked back down the hall, allowing the two men privacy. Eugene watched him leave, suddenly wondering if were such a good idea to leave him with the man who had just tried to murder him, despite the sturdy, thick metal bars separating them.

"You're the last person I ever expected to see here on his own free will." Johansson's gruff voice, foggy with sleep, sounded from the back of the cell. Eugene turned back to face him, and Johansson stepped forward, into the light of the torches that lined the walls.

"Well you're the last person I ever expected to try to kill me." Eugene retorted, narrowing his eyes.

Johansson smirked. "It would have worked had the _Princess_ not gotten involved." He way he spat the word 'princess' only infuriated Eugene further, and without thinking, he lashed out with his good arm and grabbed Johansson by the collar, pulling him against the bars of the cell roughly. He brought his face close to that of his adversary, currently incapacitated and dangling a few inches from the floor due to his height, glowering down at him viciously.

"You nearly killed her!" He yelled. "She nearly _died _because of you!"

Johansson, unphased despite his position, glared. "It was never my intention for Princess Rapunzel to become involved," he said.

"You should have known she would become involved!" Eugene said, clenching at Johansson's shirt tighter, and bringing him closer still. "How could she not?! It's not like her to _not _get involved! She only did it because of me, and because you decided to try and get rid of me once and for all."

Johansson brought a hand up to claw at Eugene's bandages, trying to free himself, refusing to allow the ex-thief to intimidate him. Eugene hissed in pain as the man gripped his wrist and squeezed, hard, and he released him. Johansson stumbled backwards a few steps, and smoothed his shirt and patted the dust from his clothing smugly.

"Isn't it bad enough you ruined my life once, but twice?" He asked, calmly. "You get away with what you did to me, to my wife, and then you wiggle your way out of a hanging? And then become the next king?" He laughed, curtly. "How you've managed to escape death four times is beyond me."

"You'll stand trial for what you've done." Eugene informed him.

"I am aware."

"And what about your children? You said you have two? What of their futures?"

"My children are grown and have their own lives, I assure you." Johansson said. "They were so young when their mother died, just twelve and ten. But that was ten years ago, and they no longer rely upon me to support and protect them."

"They still need you." Eugene said. "You're their father. What about your grandchildren? Did you ever think about them? Did you _really _think you could get away with this without consequences? You're facing the noose, Johansson, just like I did." He swallowed. "You'll leave your children fatherless."

Something akin to regret flashed across Johansson's face, but it was gone in a moment, replaced with the cold, hard contempt Eugene had become accustomed to when in his presence.

"Why do you care?" He spat suddenly.

Eugene shook his head.

"Because as much as I hate you for nearly killing Rapunzel, for hurting her, for nearly killing me, your children don't deserve to be without a father, no matter how old they are." He said, softer than he intended. "And if you're selfish enough to sacrifice them in pursuit of revenge…then maybe you do deserve what you've got coming to you."

With that, he turned and walked away.

He showed himself out of the prisons, and headed back towards the castle, walking through the lush gardens as thunder rumbled in the distance behind him. As he made his way back towards his room, he passed the door to Rapunzel's room, and he paused, overcome with the desire to make sure she was okay. He had been present when Dr. Hendricks had tended to her burned feet, citing them as curable, but painful, saying she would be unable to walk for quite a while, but afterwards he had been seen to himself, and had then been instructed to rest, his dinner brought to him by servants.

It was then he heard it. A very faint whimper, like the mew of a newborn kitten, came from somewhere behind the oak doors. He stepped closer, opening the door just a bit to peek inside.

Rapunzel was asleep in her bed, the sheets disheveled and rumpled, and she was hugging her pillow tightly, her face pressed into the fabric. Just as he was about to close the door, convinced she had merely turned over in her sleep, Rapunzel started screaming.

"_Eugene, no!_" She wailed, her cries muffled by the pillow. "_No!_"

Within seconds, Eugene yanked open the door and sprinted to her side, where he found Pascal pressing a scaly foot against Rapunzel's brown hair in an attempt to comfort her. He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Shh, I'm right here." He whispered. "It's alright. I'm right here."

Rapunzel jolted awake at his touch, her tearstained face pulling away from the pillow, her eyes wide in shock and confusion. Upon seeing him, she sat up quickly, and hugged him.

"Eugene!" She sobbed.

"Sh, it's okay." Eugene soothed, stroking her hair. "You're alright. I'm right here."

Rapunzel shook her head. "We were back at that mill, but I was too late, and the ceiling collapsed and you were still inside, and there was nothing I could do, and…" She clung tighter. "I could hear you screaming, and…"

He wrapped his arm around her, holding her close, letting her cry as long as she needed to feel better. He pressed kisses to her hair, whispering words of comfort, knowing without a shadow of a doubt the pain and fear she felt. Eventually, after awhile, Rapunzel's sobs faded to muffled hiccups, and she pulled away from him, wiping the few remaining tears from her eyes.

"It's okay, Blondie." He said. "I'm alright. We're going to be okay."

Rapunzel nodded.

"Will you stay with me?" She asked, and yawned involuntarily. "Please?"

Eugene looked down at her, and her red rimmed green eyes looked back at him hopefully. He smiled at her and nodded, and sat down on the bed, propping himself up against a few pillows. She nestled herself into him, his good arm wrapped around her securely. He wrapped a sheet around her, minding her bandaged feet, and she laid her head against his chest.

"I love you, Eugene." She whispered. "_I love you._"

Within seconds, she was asleep, her face peaceful.

He smiled, and kissed her forehead as she slept. "I love you more, Rapunzel." He whispered. "It's going to be okay. I'm right here. I promise."

Together they slept, and neither had nightmares.

* * *

><p><strong>To make up for the fact that it took me forever to update, I made this chappie long. :) Hope you enjoyed!<strong>


End file.
